A Father's Love
by Kyoka Suigetsu Totsuka
Summary: Being a single father with two little girls is hard enough, but when there are monsters trying to kill them everyday, it's even worse. Well, he loves them more than he loves himself, so he would just have to hope for the best and pray to the mothers of his children.
1. Daddy

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 1**

* * *

He had never felt such power; it was overwhelming and beyond his wildest imagination. His body felt as if it had been turned to stone; he couldn't move a muscle as the calamity towered over him, its shadow covering most of the mountain range. It wasn't moving, but every subtle twitch of its body sent quakes along the ground and shook the foundations around him. Its mouth was closed, but a low rumble came out as its growl. Then there was its eye – its one lone eye. It was as red as blood with strange black rings and tomoe surrounding pupil, and it emanated power.

But despite all of this, he felt no fear.

Perhaps it was because he had nothing to lose. Everyone else had perished; crushed by the beast's overwhelming power. Pools of blood covered the ground, forming into rivers as the foundations of the earth shook. Hundreds upon thousands of corpses lay still or burning on the dirt. With his sensory abilities, he could still feel the lingering chakra of some of his most precious people; he could feel their life fade as their deaths sunk into his consciousness. He was the only one left. Everyone else had perished; he had failed to save any of them.

_'I'm sorry…'_

The ground shook heavily and he was nearly knocked to the ground as the monster took its first step. Its ten towering tails were swaying from side to side, threatening to flatten any person or mountain within its reach. Its mouth slowly parted, revealing jagged and razor sharp teeth covered in its slimy saliva. It looked hungry, not for food, but for death and destruction. It only wanted one thing: to destroy every living thing in the world and start anew.

He stared up at the beast with his azure blue eyes connected to its lone powerful orb, and wondered. '_Is this really the end? All this time I had thought that I could become powerful enough to save everyone. Even if I could defeat the Juubi now, what's the point? So I can be the King of the ashes?'_

Suddenly, a deafening, earth-shaking roar of devastation blasted from the beast's gaping mouth, sending gales of neck-breaking winds towards the corpse covered land. It shredded the ground and tore away at the remaining earth. Then as it breathed back it, thousands of small red and blue orbs of chakra gathered around its mouth, slowly forming a gargantuan orb almost as big as its body. It was almost pitch black in color, and was suffocating.

_'Why should I fight on? There is no point anymore.'_

A shockwave that shaved off the top of the surrounding mountains pulsed from the monster as it fired its attack directly at the lone survivor. The ground was split open by the sheer power of the speed it was traveling and soon towered over the man.

_'Maybe I should just die…'_

A blinding light covered the entire mountain range and all was silent.

* * *

A pair of azure blue eyes snapped open and a man burst from his bed. His breathing was quick, as if he was close to hyperventilating, and cold-sweat covered his bare torso. His entire body was shaking and he could actually feel the adrenaline slowly leave his system, rendering him tired and weak.

"What the hell was that?"

He slowly calmed from his nightmare and combed his fingers through his blond hair, making it even more spiky than usual. He felt that his scalp was moist from sweat, making him shake his head and sigh. He had never experienced such a vivid and horrific dream. In all honesty, he was surprised his brain could even conjure up such imagery.

Putting on his glasses before looking over at his clock, he saw that it was still early – only 5:00am – making him sigh again. He was wide awake, and despite his weak and tired form, he'd doubt that he would be able to fall asleep again so soon. He simple pushed his pillow upright and leaned back against the head board of his large bed, letting the silence and peaceful darkness relax him. As usual, his grey curtains were parted and the moonlight seeped in, casting a serene white light in his bedroom. Seeing the familiar placing made him relax more, and he calmly closed his eyes to rest.

_'That's it, no more crazy hero movies before bed with the girls.'_

After a few more minutes, he decided to just start his day. No longer with shaky feet, he stepped onto the cold but cozy hardwood flooring and heading towards the master bathroom. He jumped into the shower and turned the water to higher heat than usual. He could feel his exhaustion leave him as his skin tingled and eyes clear. He spend much more time standing under the shower than usual, trying to red himself of the worst nightmare of his life – or what he could remember of his life.

In his memory, he had only lived twelve years. He was in his late-twenties, but he couldn't recall anything before his 16th birthday. The earliest memories were of him waking in the local hospital and the doctor informing him of his car accident. Apparently he had been in a head-on collision with another car and had broken nearly every bone in his body. The doctors were genuinely shocked that he managed to wake from such devastating injuries – it was nothing short of a miracle.

But he had suffered a serious case of amnesia and could barely remember how to speak. It took him quite a long time to finish his recuperation in the hospital, but he could survive on his own 18 months later.

He started to regain some of his knowledge, but no substantial memories of his past life. All he of himself was from the wallet the police found on his person the day of his accident. His name was Namikaze Naruto, and he was a citizen of New York City, United States of America. He had a driver's license, a Social Security Number, even a Gym Membership, but other than that, nothing. He had no family or girlfriends. He was alone – well, for the first year anyway.

"Man, today is going to be exhausting." Naruto jumped out of the shower and dried himself before looking in his mirror. His hair was growing quite long – the bangs nearly framed the sides of his face and most of his forehead – but he saw something weird. For a split-second, he saw that his eyes morphed into the same eye the monster had in his dream, but it was gone as soon as he noticed. Shaking his head, Naruto chuckled to himself as he squirted some toothpaste on his toothbrush, "I am going to crazy."

He dressed himself in his usual style. He had a on a black dress shirt with the top few buttons open tucked into a pair of light grey jeans with a white belt. Slipping into his black socks, he stepped into his black dress shoes, hearing the usual clacking footsteps of his own.

Stepping down the hall of mahogany hardwood, Naruto turned to the last door on the left. With a gentle turn of the knob, he silently slipped into the teddy bear and plushy filled room. He smiled at the sight of his little princess sleeping away with all the innocence of the world, her little face pressed against her pink pillow while her blanket was kicked off the bed.

"It's time to wake up, sweetie," Naruto whispered as gently as he could before he kissed his little girl's forehead, making her squirm with a groan. "Come on, Lacy."

"Five more minutes~"

"No, that will just make you sleepier." Naruto smiled and lightly brushed his daughter's own long blonde hair behind her ear. "Come on, you have to get ready for school."

Lacy slowly opened her eyes, though she had a pout on her face. She gave her daddy her most in innocent puppy-eyed look and raised her arms up. "Can you carry me, daddy?"

Naruto sighed with a suppressed smile, "Sure, you little minx."

The little girl, even at five years old, still fit perfectly in his arms. Cradling her close to his chest, Naruto rested Lacy's head in the crook of his neck and kissed her head. He made sure to rub his hands along her back so she wouldn't be cold after leaving her warm bed and quickly placed her down in front of the bathroom.

"Annabeth promised to brush my hair today," mumbled Lacy as she rubbed her eyes.

"I know, I'm right here", Annabeth Namikaze stepped out of her own room already showered and dressed for school; at the age of nine her maturity was far beyond her years. "Good morning, dad."

Naruto smiled at his eldest and kissed her forehead, "Morning, Annie." He ran a hand over her combed blonde hair that she shared with him and her little sister. "Help your sister get ready; I'll make some pancakes."

"Yay!" exclaimed Lacy, "With vanilla syrup?"

"Sure."

"Dad, you still have to sign that permission slip for me."

"I already did sweetie; it's on the table." Naruto furrowed his brows as he ran his hand through his hair again – something he would do with he would feel stress. He hated leaving his daughter to go around the city on a field trip, but Annabeth had him wrapped around her little finger. But as much as he wanted to deny it, he was a little happy. What dad didn't want to be bossed around by his darling little princess?

Naruto smiled at the thought of his two princesses as he started on the pancakes. They were so much like their mothers it was a little shocking. He would never forget the eyes of his first _love_ back in his college days. Yes, he actually went back to college. After his recuperation, he found out that his past-self had already started on a Business Administration Degree at the New York City University, and he managed to learn his way back in. That was also when he met Annabeth's mother, Athena, one of his professors.

When one would hear such a name they would usually think of the ancient goddess of Greece, not a living goddess of Western Civilization. It was real. Athena, Annabeth's mother, was really a goddess. He really had a hard time believing it when the Goddess of Wisdom had told him of her true identity – he had thought she tried to prank him. Though it was even harder to believe that even though he did not get laid, he ended up having a daughter with his gorgeous professor.

Apparently, Athena was capable of having children with men she could connect with at a mental level, like Naruto when they shared a very nice semester together discussing warfare tactics. The blond had no idea where he had so much knowledge about wars and how to win them, but apparently it was enough to impress Athena. So much so that she decided to have his child.

Naruto smiled at the thought, _'She gave me one of my princesses.'_

Annabeth was Naruto's life. From the moment Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, and Athena dropped the little bundle into his arms, nine years ago, she will forever be someone he would love unconditionally. She was the perfect blend between him and her mother. She had his blond hair and slightly tanned complexion, but had Athena's intimidating and endearing grey eyes. His daughter was perfect.

"It smells great, dad!"

Annabeth walked into the kitchen and sat down at the dining table, smiling at her daddy as he cooked his usual great breakfasts.

"Wow, finished with Lacy's hair already?" From what Naruto knew about his youngest princess, it surprised him that Annabeth managed to satisfy Lacy's standards for her hair in such a short time. Even at such a young age, Lacy loved to be pretty and cute.

"Yep, I've had lots of practice."

Naruto scooped the first batch of pancakes onto a plate and placed it on the counter, "Annie, no books at the dinner table." He gave his daughter a knowing stare, making her sigh in defeat before she placed the book she hid under the table on the table. "You will have plenty of time to read later."

Annabeth pouted at her dad, "But I was getting to the good part!"

"I don't care; no reading at the dinner table." Naruto smiled at his princess, "Be a good girl and I'll take you and your sister for ramen tonight."

The girl instantly grinned and nodded. "Okay!"

If there was one thing the girls really inherited from him, it would be his love for ramen.

"DADDY, DADDY!" Lacy came running out after she finished dressing, looking absolutely adorable in a little blue sundress with her hair tied into a small braid. "I'M HUNGRY, IS BREAKFAST READY?"

"Yes, yes, come get your own plates girls."

Annabeth and Lacy both happily ran for their own plates before quickly sitting back down at the dinner table. Naruto smiled at the sight of his little girls devouring their breakfast, or of Lacy drowning her pancakes into vanilla syrup.

_'Lacy is also very much like her mother.'_

Naruto didn't know what was wrong with his life or why he was so lucky, but he had had two goddesses in his life. The first of his relationships was with Athena, but that was purely intellectual – he had never even kissed her once. But the second was _very_ different. While Athena was confident, smart, and gave off an aura of authority, the second goddess in his life was playful, seductive, and extremely stunning.

She had met Naruto when she visited his work – Sweet On America, a Candy Store he opened after he finished school. It was just a small store located at the end of Grand Central Station, but one day this extremely beautiful woman walked in. She was _stunning._ Naruto froze the moment he laid eyes on her. She was the definition of beauty. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and that included Athena. She had long red hair that reached her lower back and the face of an angel, and her eyes was a shade of purple that made his heart flutter. He could still remember how excited she was when she practically skipped into his store, leering at all the candy like a predator.

It was only a few minutes after she walked in that she told him her name: Aphrodite. Normally when a person would meet a woman named Aphrodite, they would think of her as joking or something, but after having a brain-child with Athena, Naruto grew suspicious. He asked her right away: are you a goddess?

Well, let's just say they got along _very_ well very quickly.

He showed her all the candy in his shop and the chatted the day away. Long story short, Lacy arrived a short few months after.

"Slow down, Lacy; the pancakes are not going anywhere."

Lacy have her daddy a big smiled and nodded. "It's just so good!"

Naruto sighed at he sipped on his cup of coffee, wondering if he would ever see the mothers of his children again. He had never seen either of them again after they dropped off their respective daughter to him. Athena gave him a sweet smile and a hug before she just vanished. Aphrodite's parting gift was _much_ more intimate and steamy, but she had not shown herself to him afterwards. They both just vanished from his life, never appearing to him again.

To be perfectly honest to himself, he felt a little depressed.

_'Maybe I should find a girlfriend._ '

* * *

Goode Elementary School, the one place Naruto loathed. It wasn't necessary a bad school, but Naruto hated leaving his daughters alone for such a long time. If he had more time on his hands, he would homeschool them himself. If there was one thing he would always remember of the gods, it would be the moment when Hermes had told him that demigod children will always be in danger. As they grow and as their powers develop, they will emanate a scent that will attract all kinds of monsters around the world.

That is the main reason Naruto hated leaving his princesses alone.

"Did you bring your lunch?"

"Yes."

"What about your extra juice box?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what I told you? Never leave the group; always follow your teacher on your field trip."

"Yes."

"Remember to wash your hands when you have the chance; those museums are very dirty."

"Yes."

"Remember to not read your books when walking around."

"Yes."

"Remember-"

"Dad!" cried Annabeth with a slightly red face as she glared up at her daddy. "I remember everything, stop reminding me!" She felt a little embarrassed at her dad's constant overprotective nature, especially when they were all walking up to the school and there were many other kids with their parents around them. She could hear some of the other kids' moms smiling over at them, whispering how sweet and loving her father was. "I'll be very careful!"

Lacy, who was holding onto her daddy's hand as they walked, giggled. "Annabeth looks funny."

Annabeth held onto the straps of her backpack and tilted her face up, looking high and mighty. "I'm almost ten years old, dad, you don't have to be so protective."

Naruto smiled at his princess trying to act grown up and how she looked shockingly like her mother. "No matter how old you are, you will always be my cute little princess." He kissed her lovingly on the forehead before he messed with her hair. "Now be careful and be sure to be here when I pick you up later."

Annabeth was blushing from embarrassment, but smiled back nonetheless. "Okay dad, see you later."

The father watched his eldest walk into the building before he continued to his way to the kindergarten section of the school. He smiled at some of the other parents as he walked passed them, most of which were woman. It was a little disconcerting for him to receive strange leers and lustful glances from the other parents, especially since their children were right next to them. Even Lacy seemed to sense something and pulled him along faster. She didn't like the looks those women were giving her daddy.

"Okay princess; remember to listen to your teacher." Naruto leaned down to kiss her little princess on the cheek, smiling as she giggled. "I'll come pick you up in the afternoon."

"I know, bye-bye daddy." Lacy hugged her dad around his legs and grinned up at him. "I love you."

Naruto smiled and kissed her forehead, "I love you too, sweetie." He smiled as he watched his little girl skip into her classroom, happy to see all her friends again.

He was about to leave for work, but someone stopped him.

"Mr. Namikaze."

He turned around and was surprised to see Lacy's teacher walking towards him. It was a pretty sight. Ms. Turner was beautiful. She was a young teacher, probably one who just finished her education degree and wanted to try teaching kindergarten. She had long brown hair that reached her lower back and was very pretty. Nowhere near Athena or Aphrodite standards, but as far as normal humans go, she was gorgeous.

"Good morning, Ms. Turner." Naruto smiled and met her halfway. "What can I do for you?"

"Please, just call me Katie." The teacher smiled with her green eyes sparkling. "We had another meeting last night and decided that we need some volunteers to help with day to day operations, so I was wondering if you would have some spare time sometimes."

Naruto actually felt happy at the news. "I would love to help out; just give me the time and date and I'll try to arrange my work around it."

Katie smiled approvingly and nodded. "That's great! That being said, if you don't mind can you please help me with something now?"

"Now?" The blond looked down at his watch and shrugged. "Sure, I have a little bit of time."

"Thank you so much." Katie reached for his hand and started to lead him into the school. "I am supposed to bring these boxes of worksheets and coloring books to the classroom, but they are really heavy and I can't lift them."

"Well I'm happy to help," said Naruto, wondering if she would let go of his hand anytime soon – not that he minded having a pretty girl holding his hand.

They walked through the hallways of the school, which were mostly scarce of people since class had most likely started already. Katie was still holding onto Naruto's hand as she led him towards the back of the school, where most of the files and papers were in storage. They turned the last corner and was met with a double door, which Ms. Turner unlocked swiftly.

"Just these boxes in here."

Naruto nodded and stepped into the room, but didn't see any boxes, only a wall of shelves. "Where did you say the boxes were?" Suddenly the sound of a door closing could be heard and Naruto turned around to see Katie leaning against the door. She had a mischievous smirk on her face, nothing like the sweet smile she would usually have. "Umm, is everything okay?"

"You smell really nice today."

The blond felt a little weird and just nodded. "Thank you?"

Without any warning, Katie walked up to Naruto and kissed him hard on the lips. He was shocked and his eyes were wide, but he couldn't deny how great her lips felt against his. She pushed him to the back of the room, his back knocking down some of the files on the shelves. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth and darted around wildly, as if trying to taste him fully. To top it all off, she took Naruto's hand and placed it down her shirt, making him fondle her chest.

To say that Naruto was shocked would be an understatement. Ms. Turner looked like a perfectly elegant and calm young lady, but now she resembled more of a vixen. Her eyes turned into a cunning and vicious glare instead of the usual kindness. He couldn't kiss back; she was far too forceful and violent. He could feel her nails digging into the back of his neck and her teeth were starting to bite into his tongue.

It was one of the worst kisses he had ever experienced.

"Ms. Turner!" cried Naruto as he shoved her off. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The woman was laughing and it sent chills down Naruto's back. It sounded so weird, so _evil_. Then the real frightening changes happened. Her healthy tanned skin started to morph into grey and crusty layers, her brown hair turned white and became wild, and her eyes turned black. One of her legs started to shake and quiver, and soon Naruto noticed that it had been replaced by a wooden peg. Then there were her fangs…they were like those of a vampire.

Naruto stared on in horror as he back into the shelves, "W-What the hell are you?"

Her voice came out as raspy and manic. "I'm Villi, an Empousai."

"A what?!" demanded Naruto loudly.

"Mmmm," Villi moaned as she smirked, revealing her black teeth and elongated fangs. "You smell _so_ good today." She reached up to her chest and fondled her now crusty breasts in ecstasy. "I thought it was only your daughters who I wanted to feed on, but I was wrong. You smell so much better~"

Hearing the monster mention his daughters knocked Naruto back to reality. "You stay away from my daughters," he said lowly, his anger palpable.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Villi clutched her stomach as she laughed crazily. "You will be the main course today, and little Lacy will make the perfect dessert." Naruto gripped his fists until his knuckles were white, glaring at the monster. "DIE!" The Empousai launched itself towards Naruto, its long nails threatening to run through Naruto to keep him still; her mouth was salivating as her eyes gleamed with hunger.

Now any normal father would probably piss their pants as the monster charged at them, but Naruto was not exactly normal.

Quickly reacting, Naruto reached back to one of the shelves and used the top shelf to direct himself as he jumped up. Almost reaching the full height of the room at nine feet, Naruto looked down at the monster, which was shocked at his actions, and kicked her as hard as he could in the face. The force of his kick forced the Empousai to stagger back to the edge of the room, slightly disorientated.

"I'm going to kill you, monster!"

If there was one thing Naruto knew that he excelled at, it would be fighting.

He charged at the monster, grabbing it long white hair with his left hand and pulled its head into his right fist. He heard a distinct crack before he kicked her once more, sending her back to the wall. Naruto glared angrily at the Empousai as he ran up to it and grabbed its head. He dug his fingers hard into her hair and slammed its head into the wall as hard as he could, denting the drywall instantly. Naruto knew he needed a tougher surface to slam the monster's head into, so he turned to the steel shelves and slammed again.

But the Empousai used its legs to stomp on Naruto's foot and hind kicked him away. It turned to glare at the slightly winded blond man with its face bleeding badly.

"I'm going to give you a slow death!" Its raspy voice was shaking with anger as its nails grew in length.

"Not if I can help it!" Naruto sped for the fire extinguisher and quickly used it to hit the Empousai in the face. He repeatedly slammed the extinguisher against the monster's face, making it cry out in pain every time. He didn't count how many times he had struck the Empousai, but he didn't relent until his arms wouldn't move anymore.

Villi lay on the ground, still alive. "T-This is impossible. No human should have such strength!"

Naruto didn't want to take any chances and quickly stomped on the monster's chest. "Just die already!" He slammed the fire extinguisher straight down on the monster's face, crushing it against the cement floor. He did it again and again, ignoring the cries of pain and wails coming from the monster. He closed his eyes and just let his strength guide him, and it continued on.

Then suddenly, Naruto felt his weapon hit the ground instead of the monster's head. He quickly opened his eyes to see if it had escaped, but sighed in relief when he saw a pile of gold dust on the ground, just like the Hellhounds did last time.

He sighed in exhaustion and sat down on the ground, dropping the dented fire extinguisher to the ground.

"I knew today would be a bad day."

* * *

Sweet on America was Naruto's pride and joy. He had opened it a year after his graduation with his life savings and it had been going fairly well. It was located inside the Grand Central Station, and business was improving over time. Many people find it a good idea for some sweets after lunch or dinner, and his shop would be a nice convenient place for them to visit after getting off the subway. It varied from young adults working nearby or children with their parents, but they would all leave his store with smiles on their faces.

That was what really made Naruto love his job. Candy and sweets are universal, just as Aphrodite had told him.

He stepped into the red, blue and white themed store and smiled when he saw that there was already a line in front of his register.

"Good morning, Mr. Namikaze!"

"Good morning, Sally," said Naruto as he smiled at his best employee. "Sorry for coming in late, but it's been a hectic morning."

Sally smiled and waved him off. "It's perfectly fine; I've got this under control."

Sally Jackson had been working for Naruto for almost a year already and she was a great employee. She worked hard, was punctual, the customers loved her, and looked beautiful in the store uniform. Another good thing was that her son was also a student at Goode Elementary and was a friend of Annabeth.

"Did you drop off Percy this morning?" asked the owner of the store as he walked behind the counter and started the other register to ease the lineup.

Sally nodded with a smile, "Yep, he wasn't exactly excited to go to the museum, but he still went."

Naruto chuckled as he gestured to the next customer. "Annabeth could stop talking about it for the whole week."

"Well I'm glad Percy and Annabeth are friends; I hope someday her good habits will rub off on him."

The blond merely smiled and nodded at his customer. "Good morning and welcome to Sweet on America…"

In one morning, he woke from a nightmare, cooked a killer breakfast, dropped his daughters off at school on time, killed a strange slutty monster and managed to get to his store in time. It was just the usual day for Namikaze Naruto; just as he would expect as a father of two beautiful little demigod princesses.

* * *

**The End!**

**This is my new take on a Percy Jackson and Naruto crossover and I hope you all enjoyed it. XD**

**The pairing of this story has been decided already, but I'm going to keep it a secret for now ;). Can anyone guess who I plan to have pairing Naruto with? Hint: She is immortal!**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	2. New Teacher

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 2**

* * *

"Pass the black paint brush, Annie."

Annabeth nodded and happily handed her dad the small brush before she excitedly knelt down next to him, her eyes gleaming with joy. She was starting at the new Empire State Building Model she had bought on her field trip, and it was starting to come to form. It would go perfectly with the model of the Statue of Liberty and the Capitol Building she had in her room.

Naruto smiled and slightly shook his head at his daughter's antics. Ever since she could read Annabeth had been obsessed with architecture and iconic buildings. He wasn't surprised at all when she spent almost all her allowance on the Empire State Building model. Lacy had chirped that she would have spent the money on chocolates or dolls instead, but if seeing Annabeth skip and hop into the car with the model box in her hands meant anything, Naruto knew she felt satisfied with her purchase.

"I think this part is beige."

The eldest Namikaze daughter nodded with a smile and opened the beige paint. "Yep, it's the most prominent color."

For the past four hours, the father and daughter had been working to assemble the model and now could finally paint it. Annabeth didn't trust herself to paint the small delicate details, so Naruto was tasked with the job. After working with so many small and fragile candies, he was quite well suited for the task.

"Be careful, dad…" mumbled Annabeth softly as she leaned in closer to see if her dad was doing it right.

Naruto furrowed his brows in concentration and nodded back. "I know – I'm almost there."

Lacy sat on the sofa behind her daddy and big sister watching _How To Train Your Dragon_ on TV, happily munching on the candy her daddy brought home for the week. Normally he wouldn't allow her to eat so much in one night, but he was so focused with building the model he didn't notice. Lacy just silently grinned and enjoyed her wide selection of candy. It was a very good day for Lacy – not only could she enjoy all her candy, her teacher was absent from school the whole morning and their whole class got a free day for fun! Best-Day-Ever!

Looking down at the box of candies and chocolates, Lacy wondered which she should try next. _'Try the Calisson, Lacy, it's really good!' _Lacy looked around when she heard a strange voice speak to her; it sounded to be a woman and was very melodic and sweet. Confused, Lacy looked down at the box of candies and found one that had a label that looked like it spelled Calisson – she couldn't really read well at her age, unlike her sister – and popped it in her mouth. _'That's my cute girl! It's really good, isn't it?'_

Lacy couldn't help but nod with a big grin. "It's _really _good!"

_'The Carambar is good too, though is very chewy.'_

Lacy happily listened to the strange voice and unwrapped the traditional French candy. "Cream bar?" she whispered to herself before she threw it in her mouth. It really was chewy, but it tasted great and she grinned at the taste, swaying from side to side in joy.

_'It's Carambar, baby. Oh you are so cute!'_

"Lacy," said Naruto with a stern tone as he turned to see all the candy wrappers on the couch. "What did I say about eating so much candy in one night?" Lacy looked like a deer caught by headlights and just stared at her daddy with a cute and sheepish smile, hoping to not get in trouble. "And what did I tell you to do with all the wrappers?"

"You told me to not eat so much in one night and to throw the wrappers in the trash…" mumbled Lacy softly.

"That's right, so give me the box and throw out the wrappers." Lacy pouted and handed the box over and started to gather all the wrappers. Naruto smiled and kissed the top of her head, "That's my good girl."

Lacy smiled back and ran over to the trash can to dump all the wrappers inside, but she heard the voice again. _'Ahh my sweet and handsome Naruto, he's such a cute and loving father! Oh I miss him so much~'_ But suddenly, the phone rang and Lacy raced to answer it.

"Hello!" she cried with a happy grin.

Naruto rolled his eyes playfully at his princess and took the phone away. "Sorry about that; this is the Namikaze residence."

_"Hello Mr. Namikaze, this is Principal Hawkwood."_

Naruto smiled and nodded to himself. "Ahh yes, how are you doing Mr. Hawkwood?"

_"Not too well I'm afraid; for some reason Ms. Turner did not turn up to class today and we still cannot find her anywhere, so Lacy's class will be taught be a substitute until we find Ms. Turner."_ Naruto winced a little at the subject and just nodded to himself. _"I just wanted to call all parents and assure you that this is an isolated incident and the substitute teacher will be just as good as Ms. Turner."_

"Well I have no problem with it, but I do thank you for taking the time to call us."

_"Of course, Mr. Namikaze, have a good night."_

"Good night to you as well, Mr. Hawkwood." Naruto sighed as he placed the phone down, his mood souring with worry. _'Anyone would be better than having a monster as a teacher, but I seriously hope that this was an isolated incident.'_

"Who was that, daddy?"

Naruto sat down on the sofa and lifted Lacy onto his lap. "That was the principal of your school," he said, attracting Annabeth's attention. "He said Ms. Turner is missing and they can't find her, so you will have a substitute teacher for the next few days."

Lacy shrugged and nodded, "Okay, but is Ms. Turner going to be back soon?"

"I don't know, princess."

Annabeth hopped onto the sofa and hugged her knees to her chest, looking cozy, "It's a little weird that your teacher would just disappear like that." She had a thoughtful expression on her face that looked exactly like Athena would when the Goddess tried to deduce a situation, and it made Naruto feel a little nervous. "Maybe she is sick and went to the hospital or something."

Lacy pouted and looked sad. "I hope not; I really like Ms. Turner."

_'Well, Ms. Turner only likes demigods as food.'_

The older sister shrugged, "Maybe the substitute will be even better."

Naruto forced a smile and kissed Lacy's hair. "Annie is right, princess; maybe you'll really like your new teacher."

"I hope so…"

Annabeth tugged her dad's arm and point at her model, "Come on dad, we have to finish painting."

Naruto just chuckled and nodded. "Okay, okay."

* * *

**Olympus – Main Hearth**

Near the center of the floating paradise of Olympus was the main hearth, the origin of fire of the gods. The tongues of the vibrant red flames licked the bottom of the sky as the gods dined and chatted around it almost every day. It was the one place where harmony will always be kept. It was the place for familial bonding – family dinners, reunions and even weddings. The Goddess of the Hearth, Lady Hestia would almost always be seen tending its flames, and many of the Olympians would sit along the warm glow and chat with the sweet and friendly Goddess.

"Hestia…" whined a pouting Aphrodite as she sat on one of the many silver kneeling mats around the hearth. "What should I do?"

The Goddess of the Hearth, with her curly black hair tucked into a simple brown scarf wrapped around her head, looked over at the most beautiful woman in the heavens with her warm and comforting red eyes. She had a slightly sheepish smile on her pretty face and lightly shrugged, "I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know."

Another Goddess sitting on the other side of Hestia sighed in exasperation. "Don't come bother Aunt Hestia with all your weird problems, Aphrodite." The Goddess lightly glared over at the Goddess of Love with her silvery eyes as she warmed her hands near the hearth. "Unlike you, we don't have the time for dealing with mortal men."

"Have some sympathy, Artemis!" Aphrodite pouted as she rested head on her hands. "This is really bothering me."

A beautiful blonde Goddess sat across from the other three and rubbed her temples. "What are you droning on about again?"

Artemis sighed and decided to answer, "Well, Aunt Demeter, Aphrodite apparently _really misses_ this mortal she had a relationship with a few years ago and wants to go visit him; but she can't come up with a good enough explanation that will make him understand why she left him all alone with their daughter."

Demeter sighed again. "_Which_ mortal are you talking about? I can't even keep track of all your men."

"His name is Naruto Namikaze…" muttered Aphrodite as she poked the flames with a small stick. "He owns a cute little candy store in New York and is just the sweetest and cutest father, ever!" she said, finishing on a high note.

The name of the man seemed to attract the attention of the final Goddess of the group, who sat next to Demeter looking a little bored. Her beautiful face suddenly took on a calculative expression as she narrowed her intimidating grey eyes at Aphrodite.

"Oh!" exclaimed Demeter with a look of enlightenment. "Isn't that the mortal who Athena had a child with first and then you came along and seduced him?"

Aphrodite smiled and nodded. "Yep, that's him."

"I still can't believe Naruto actually had a child with you." Athena stared into the hearth and ignored the looks the other goddesses gave her. "He was a talented and intelligent man with a great mind for warfare, not just some pretty man who you can play around with."

"I did not play around with him; we had a loving and happy relationship!" The Love Goddess gave Athena a peeved looked and just huffed. "Just because _you_ decided to have a brain-child with Naruto doesn't mean he doesn't like sex." Artemis looked increasingly annoyed as Hestia felt a little out of place. "You should have seen how he was in bed, Athena; you really missed out on something good!"

"Enough!" Athena glared at Aphrodite, making the latter flinch.

Artemis shook her head and sighed, "Can the two of you not argue over some _boy_?"

"He is _not_ just some boy!" cried Aphrodite as Athena carelessly nodded along. "_You_ may think that all men are evil creatures that only hurt and demean women, but Naruto is not like that at all!" She turned back to the flames and started poking it again, "You should see how sweet and loving he is to my cute little Lacy."

"Okay then, let us see."

Athena looked over at Demeter, "I beg your pardon, Aunt Demeter?"

Demeter pointed to the hearth as she looked at Aphrodite, "Just show us how sweet and caring you think he is."

"Okay!" Aphrodite turned to Hestia and grinned. "Sorry Hestia, but I'll just borrow your hearth for a few minutes!"

With a wave of her hands, the flames of the hearth flickered before forming into the live image of the scene inside Naruto Namikaze's home.

* * *

"A little bit to the right." Annabeth sat on her bed as her dad placed the finished Empire State Building model on the shelf she kept all her model – right next to the Statue of Liberty. "There! That's perfect!" She grinned happily and clapped her hands together, marveling at how perfect her shelf now was, "Thanks, dad!"

Naruto smiled with a sigh, standing back up and rubbing the small of his back. "You're welcome, sweetie." He sat down on the bed next to his little princess and stared at the shelf, "Is it complete now, or do you need some more models?"

"Oh I still need the Parthenon in Nashville."

The dad smiled at his daughter and ruffled her hair, "The Parthenon, huh?"

Annabeth grinned and nodded. "Yep, it's an exact replica of the original Parthenon in Greece!" Naruto smiled and nodded along. "They had it in the museum today too, but I only had enough money today to buy one, so I got this one."

"Well, if you get three A's on this semester's report card, I'll go and buy you the model." Annabeth's eyes widened and gleamed, making Naruto chuckle. "And you know what, if you get straight A's, that means six A's, I'll bring you to the Nashville Parthenon in person!"

Annabeth as stunned, "R-Really?"

Naruto simply nodded, "Really."

"Wow, thank you, dad!" Annabeth lunged at her dad and wrapped her arms around his neck, making him laugh and hug her back. "I'm going to study really hard and make sure we're going to go Nashville!"

The dad held his daughter closer as he placed her back down on the bed, slightly brushing her hair to the side before kissing her forehead. "You are so much like your mother, it amazes me." Annabeth's eyes widened a little; she had never really heard her dad mention her mother before. "You both have the same love for architecture and the same expression on your face when you're happy."

"Really?" whispered Annabeth.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you have your mother's eyes. And every time you're really happy or excited, you get that little twinkle in your eyes and your lips would just slowly twitch up." The dad chuckled and wrapped one arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "And of course, when you're mad, both of you scare me to death," he finished with another chuckle.

As young as she was, Annabeth could hear the pride and the hint of sadness in her dad's voice. She turned to give her dad a kiss on his cheek and hugged him tightly around his neck. Naruto was a little surprised at the sudden hug, but gladly hugged his little girl back, feeling the love and warmth she gave him.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, princess."

After almost a full minute, Naruto pulled away and kissed Annabeth on her forehead. "Okay, it's time to go to bed, sweetie." His daughter smiled and nodded as he lifted the covers and tucked her in, kissing her again on the forehead. "And I mean _sleep_, not reading any books under the covers."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and smiled. "I know, dad."

Naruto nodded and smiled again, "Goodnight, Annie."

"Goodnight."

* * *

**Olympus – Main Hearth**

Hestia smiled at the scene she just witnessed in the fire and couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth inside her heart. Aphrodite was right; this Naruto was quite the sweet and loving father – astronomically more than she could say about her own father. Annabeth looked very happy and loved in the scene, which were usually rare expressions to see on a demigod's face.

"See? Tell me that wasn't adorable, even though it wasn't with my Lacy."

Athena nodded with a happy smile on her face. _'He is really sweet and loving. I can't believe he still remembers all those small details about me.' _

"He is a good father," said Artemis with an approving nod. "I have seen many terrible fathers while gathering my Hunters and it's refreshing and a relief to see that such fathers really do exist."

"I agree," said Demeter but she then turned to Athena, "though he still thinks of you a lot, Athena." The Wisdom Goddess closed her eyes and sighed, but the slightest hint of red made its way to her cheeks. "He still remembers how you smile and how you look when you're angry." Demeter smiled and nudged her niece, "Maybe you should visit him sometime; he sounds like he still loves you."

"He is a good man and a good father." That was all Athena said, looking regal and composed.

Aphrodite huffed and crossed her arms, "Just keep watching; I bet he remembers me a lot more!" She gave Athena a slight glare, "After all, I made sure to give him a _very_ nice parting gift our last night together."

Athena glared back, but Artemis just sighed, "Just keep watching."

* * *

After closing the door to Annabeth's room, Naruto heard some ruffling around in the room just across from it. With a smile on his face, he knocked a few times on the door before opening it. Very much unlike her older sister's room, Lacy's room was more messy and unorganized. There were dolls and stuffed animals all over the place and almost everything was pink. Every time Naruto would step into the room he couldn't but wonder if Aphrodite had been tinkering with the room.

"Lacy, it's time to go to bed."

The little girl was sitting on her bed with her Barbie doll with a comb in her hand. "I'm not sleepy yet, daddy," she whined with a small pout, which would usually convince her daddy to let her stay up longer. "Can I just play with Lucy a little bit longer?"

Naruto sighed at the name Lacy gave to her doll and sat down on the bed. "No, you have school tomorrow and need to wake up early." He poked Lacy lightly on her forehead before kissing her hair, "You need to get your rest and be on your best behavior when you meet your new teacher."

Lacy pouted again, "It's just a substitute teacher…"

With a knowing smile, Naruto shrugged, "I don't know, whoever it is, they may turn out to be your new permanent teacher."

"But what about Ms. Turner?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged again, "I don't know, but there is a chance."

The blond man stared at his youngest daughter with a loving smile, marveling at how adorable she looked. Unlike Annabeth and Athena, Lacy didn't look like Aphrodite. In Naruto's memory, Lacy's mother had long red hair and warm violet eyes, and their daughter had clearly inherited his traits – his blonde hair and blue eyes. But her attitude was certainly similar to her mother; she had the same love for sweets and had a bubbly personality that would light up the room.

"Daddy~" whined Lacy as she climbed under her blanket with a pout. "I'm not sleepy at all!"

"That's because you had so much sugar after dinner; you're too hyper to sleep." Naruto brushed his daughter's hair out of her face and smiled down at her. "If you keep eating so much candy I won't bring home so many boxes anymore."

"No!" cried Lacy horrified at the prospect of no candy. "I promise I won't eat so much, but you still have to bring home the same big box!"

The dad chuckled and sighed, "Fine, but you promised." He extended his pinky and wiggled it, "Pinky-swear it."

Lacy giggled and wrapped her pinky around her father's. "Okay!"

With a fond smile, Naruto leaned down and kissed Lacy's forehead. "Good. Now be a good girl and go to sleep."

"But I can't sleep!" Naruto sighed, but Lacy looked up at him with a smile. "Can you sing me the Hush lullaby?"

"Lacy, you're almost six years old."

Lacy pouted and clapped her hands together, "Please~ you used to sing it to me all the time."

"Fine…" Naruto patted Lacy's head and placed her arms back under her blanket and tucked her in, and she quickly turned to her side, looking at her daddy in joy. He turned around and turned off her lamp before he started to rhythmically pat her on the shoulder.

_"Hush little baby, don't say a word~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird~. _

_And if that mockingbird won't sing~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring~. _

_And if that diamond ring turns brass~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a looking glass~. _

_And if that looking glass gets broke~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a billy goat~. _

_And if that billy goat won't pull~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a cart and bull~. _

_And if that cart and bull turn over~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a dog named Rover~. _

_And if that dog named Rover won't bark~, _

_Daddy's gonna buy you a horse and cart~. _

_And if that horse and cart fall down~, _

_You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town~._

_So hush baby, don't say a word~, _

_Mommy loves you and so do I~."_

Finishing on a soft note, Naruto smiled and stopped his rhythmical patting. Lacy was actually asleep and had a tiny sweet smile on her face as she snuggled into her pillow. Naruto couldn't help but give a small chuckle at his little princess; it had been so long since he had sung her that lullaby and it still worked. Thinking back to a few years ago, Hush Little Baby was Lacy's favorite song, and it would put her to sleep every time, unlike Annabeth who never like any lullabies – he could still remember how Annabeth cried when he sang Itsy Bitsy Spider for her.

Slowly standing up from the bed, Naruto leaned down and kissed Lacy on the cheek. "I love you, my little princess."

* * *

**Olympus – Main Hearth**

Hestia smiled again at the image in the flames; it had been a long time since she had seen such a heartwarming scene. As the Goddess of Family, she couldn't help but feel happy at seeing such strong bonds between father and daughters. It was impressive that even without a woman in his life he still did such a great job in raising his girls. Hestia couldn't name one _male god_ who could have done what Naruto did.

Aphrodite had tears in her eyes as she hugged Hestia close. "OH HESTIA, I HAVE TO GO SEE HIM!"

Artemis sighed and rubbed her temples, "Aphrodite, Aunt Hestia is not a pillow you can hug because you're sad."

"It's okay," replied Hestia before she lightly patted Aphrodite's shoulder. "And you shouldn't be sad, Aphrodite, you should be glad that your daughter has such a good father."

"But I miss Naruto~"

Demeter smiled as he turned to face her fellow goddesses. "I must admit that it was a very cute scene. If we watch again when the girls wake up in the morning and we see him feeding them cereal, I will admit that he is the sweetest mortal man I have ever seen."

Aphrodite just ignored Demeter and dried her tears. "And the girls need a mother in their lives, every girl does!" The Goddess of Love conjured up a mirror in her hand and started to fix her make-up. "I mean, I can sense and measure the love Naruto has for the girls and it's very, very strong; but nonetheless the girls still need a mother. If only that stupid ancient law would disappear I could go down and at least spend a few days with them."

Artemis sighed again; she had a feeling that Aphrodite might actually want to show her daughter some love, but would actually want to spend another _romantic night_ with this Naruto Namikaze even more.

Hestia bit her lips and nodded. "I guess you're right; a family is really not complete without a mother."

"It's okay; I'll send them some of the best cereal in the world." Demeter smiled and nodded to herself. "I promise that your girls will grow very well with the help of my cereal."

All the while, Athena was silent. She sat beside her aunt with her grey eyes staring into the hearth, her mind running a million miles an hour in thought. Despite how much she hated Aphrodite's usually irrational behavior, but she couldn't help but agree. Athena clearly saw the love Naruto had for both his daughters and was very glad. He was one of the few fathers of her children that didn't feel overwhelmed for burdened when she dropped of their child to him; she would always remember how happy Naruto looked when he first held their daughter in his arms.

But Aphrodite and Hestia were correct. Both Annabeth and Lacy needed a mother, and as much as it annoyed her to say it, Naruto needed a woman in his life. She had always felt a little guilty about leaving Naruto by himself to raise their daughter, and having a woman in his life would make him and his daughters happy then she would give them her blessing.

Aphrodite sighed and made her mirror vanish. "Naruto should have a woman in his life."

Hestia patted Aphrodite's back and smiled. "It's okay, I'll be sure to watch over yours and Athena's daughter." Athena looked up at her aunt with surprise. "I'm not an Olympian so I have much more free time on my hands; I'll go check on the girls and make sure they're well."

Athena smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Aunt Hestia; that would be great."

Aphrodite also nodded, "You are the cool Aunt to most of our immortal children already, so I'm sure the girls will love you."

"Tia, come back to my place after this," said Demeter to her older sister. "I'll give you some top of the line cereal and oatmeal to bring to the mortal world."

Hestia just smiled at her sister, "Sure, sister."

* * *

"Can we go for ramen again tonight, daddy?"

Naruto sighed as he walked towards Goode Elementary, holding onto his daughters' hands as they headed towards the kindergarten building. "Not two nights in a row; maybe we'll go again this weekend."

Annabeth held open one of her many books with her free hand as she looked around. "Hey dad, I have to go meet Percy soon; he said he doesn't get some of the homework we got yesterday and needs my help before class."

With a chuckle and slight worry, Naruto reluctantly nodded. "Sure, go look for Percy." He leaned down and kissed Annabeth's princess curls and hugged her slightly. "Be sure to be here at 3 o'clock sharp."

Annabeth rolled her eyes with a smile, "I know, dad." She playfully slapped Lacy's shoulder with a smile, "Bye, Lace!"

"Bye, bye, Annie."

Continuing his way to the kindergarten building, Naruto lifted Lacy into his arms. He was still a little worried about another monster posing as someone in the school and wanted to hold his little girl close. But when they arrived at the usual building, there was a large group of students along with their parents standing outside the building. Naruto heard some of the mothers talking about the new teacher and saying she looked sweet and beautiful.

Naruto looked over at the door of the building and there was a new lady shaking the hands of the parents. He had to admit that she was really beautiful – not like Ms. Turner, who was alluring and sexy. The new lady was pretty in a sweet and loving way, and even from so far away he could see the incredible warmth in her eyes. She had long black curly hair and was wearing a simple white blouse with beige dress pants.

As the parents dropped of their children and left, the lady eventually came to shake Naruto's hand. "Hello there."

Naruto smiled and gladly shook her hand, "Hello; I'm Naruto Namikaze and this is my daughter, Lacy Namikaze."

The lady smiled and gently touched Lacy's cheek. "You're really cute, Lacy." Lacy giggled happily, making the lady smile wider before turning back to Naruto. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Namikaze; I'm Ms. Hess, Tia Hess." She smiled, making Naruto feel warm and comfortable, "I'm the new kindergarten teacher; we're going to have a very fun year together, Lacy."

* * *

**The End!**

**Okay! That was chapter two of A Father's Love and I hope you all enjoyed the cute and fluffy scenes.**

**The pairing should be more apparent now and I know some of you can already see it ;)**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	3. Prayer

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 3**

* * *

Naruto had always loved picking his daughters up from school; they always looked so happy when they see their family car drive into the parking lot. Annabeth had stopped being overly enthusiastic since she started to mature past her age, but Lacy was still the same. Every day, when he would step out of the car and greet them, Lacy would run over to him as fast as she could and jumped into his arms. She could cry out _daddy_ and immediately fire question after question, like: _Can we go get ramen for dinner? Can we stop by the toy store? Did you bring home any candy, daddy?_

But it seemed that Lacy had stopped that habit overnight.

Naruto stepped out of his car and only saw Annabeth sitting by their usual bench reading a book. She looked up and saw her dad and a smile immediately appeared on her face. She closed her book and walked up to him, grabbing onto his hand.

"Hey Annie," said Naruto with a smile before he ruffled her princess curls. "Where's your sister?"

"She's over there, chatting with her new teacher."

Annabeth pointed over to the kindergarten building and Naruto was a little surprised to see a crowd of kids surrounding the front entrance. Curious and a little worried, he led Annabeth over by the hand. From where they stood, Naruto saw a few parents off to the side of the crowd, smiling as they observed what was happening. Then the blond realized that one of the parents was Sally Jackson, who had a morning shift with him just this morning. She was holding onto her son, Percy's, hand as she smiled at the scene. Now he was really curious.

Annabeth was curious as well, so she followed her dad's pace, holding onto his hand all the while. She had wondered if she was a little too old to hold her dad's hand, but then she saw Percy holding onto his mother's hand, so it should be okay for her.

"Hey Sally," greeted Naruto with a smile.

Sally looked over at saw her boss and smiled back at him. "Hey Naruto, you're here too, huh?"

"Yep," With a curt nod, Naruto turned to the Percy. "Wow, you've been growing, Percy; you're going to be taller than me soon!" The blond smiled and ruffled Percy's hair, making the boy smile a little. "It must be all the blue candy; they have all the nutrients!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I never understood the blue candy."

Sally chuckled and nodded, "It's an inside joke."

"Yeah, Wise Girl; the blue candy is good for me." Percy was a little peeved that Annabeth kept telling him that his teeth were going to rot if he kept munching on blue M&amp;Ms during class. "Not rotting teeth for me."

"Keep thinking that and you'll end up with no teeth, Seaweed Brain!"

Naruto chuckled and wondered out loud, "Seaweed Brain?"

Percy crossed his arms and huffed. "I was eating a lot of dried seaweed on day and she started calling me that."

Sally giggled at the aptly placed nickname, "Well I think it's really cute."

Naruto just chuckled at the pair of childhood friends and turned to look at the group of kids surrounding the kindergarten entrance. At first he didn't notice anything, but then he saw that the new teacher – Ms. Hess – was handing out trays of cookies. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her long wavy black hair swayed from side to side as she hugged each child that eagerly took some cookies from her; her eyes dancing with joy at the smiles and grins on her students' faces. It almost made Naruto blush; she was breathtakingly stunning in a sweet and genuine kind of way. He had never seen such a thing before.

Sally smiled at the sight as well, "Ms. Hess baked a bunch of cookies for the students this morning and it was so good they wanted her to bake another tray. She was really nice and actually made a lot more for them to take home."

Naruto smiled when it was Lacy's turn to receive her cookies and grinned when his princess hug her teacher around her waist. "Thank you, Ms. Hess!" he heard his princess chirp. "You're the best!"

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Hestia loved her little niece. She was adorable and was very talkative in class, just like how her mother would during the Olympian Meetings. The Goddess of the Hearth could clearly see Aphrodite in little Lacy – not so much the promiscuity and general sultriness, but a lot in her bubbly personality, sweet demeanor and of course, her stunning beauty. Even now, Hestia could tell that Lacy would grow into a stunning beauty, much like all her other demigod siblings on her mother's side.

"Daddy!" she heard little Lacy yell.

Hestia smiled happily when she saw Lacy run to hug her father, who was actually looking at them from the side of the school. It was wonderful to see such familial love from the mortals who had bonded with the gods. Most other companions of the gods had suffered tragic fates, even in such modern times – the women of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon were clear indications. It was a relief that someone who had children with both Athena and Aphrodite could still be so happy.

In the eons that she had known Aphrodite, never had she seen her pine after a mortal man so much. Even with Adonis, all those years ago, she would forget about him and move on to either a new man or back to Ares, but this Naruto person was different. The affection Aphrodite showed to him when they all looked at them through the hearth was much more serious and loving than with her other lovers, perhaps even more so than Ares.

Hestia wondered what was so special about this man that he made the Goddess of Love fall for him so real and hard.

"Hello again, Ms. Hess," Naruto stepped up to the new teacher as the other parents slowly dispersed after their children were done with their cookies. "Thank you for giving the children the cookies."

"No problem at all," Hestia replied with a smile, her eyes warming everyone's soul. "I had a lot of time today and all the kids were very well behaved and deserved a treat." Hestia giggled and patted Lacy's cheek as she sat comfortably in her dad's arms. "And Lacy here is already one of my favorite students."

"You're my favorite too, Ms. Hess!"

Hestia then noticed Sally and smiled at her, "Hello there."

"Hi," replied Sally as she extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hess. My son isn't in your class, but I've already heard good things about it."

"Well, I am going to be teaching some of the older classes as well, so I might have him in my class later." Hestia wanted to have both her great-nieces in her class, so she used the mist and manipulated the principal to assign her Annabeth's class as well.

Sally smiled and gestured to the boy holding onto her hand, "Percy, say hello."

The boy smiled up at the nice lady and waved, "Hello, Ms. Hess."

Hestia froze a little at the sight of the distinct green eyes that were staring up at her, but quickly composed herself. "Hello there Percy, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks."

Naruto smiled and stepped forward also, "In that case, Ms. Hess, this is my eldest daughter, Annabeth."

The blonde girl needed to push from her dad and gladly walked up to the new teacher with her hand extended. "Hello Ms. Hess; it's nice to meet you." Hestia giggled and shook the girl's hand, clearly seeing Athena in her. "I really do hope you teach our class."

"Well, we don't want to keep you here all day," Naruto smiled and shook the teacher's hand again. "It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Hess; we'll see you again tomorrow."

Yes, have a good day, Mr. Namikaze, Sally." Hestia smiled and winked at the children, "And I hope to see you all in class."

"Bye, bye!" cried out Lacy with a large grin. "Bye, bye Ms. Hess."

"Goodbye." As the group walked on into the distance, Hestia sighed and closed her eyes. The entire situation had changed entirely; not only were Athena and Aphrodite's daughters attending her school, but her younger brother, Poseidon's, son was also present. _'Why I am even surprised?'_

* * *

Located on 5th Avenue, Manhattan New York, overlooking the vast Central Park, were series of high-end apartment buildings. The tallest one was right at the center; it was decorated with various Greek white statues along its outer walls and had beams of light casting colorful shades on its various pillars. And at the very top – the penthouse – lived one of the most important beings in all of existence. Without her, none of the current Olympians would even exist and mankind would likely be as it were in the Stone Age.

"Mom, I'm home!"

Mother Rhea, the mother of the older Olympians and retired Queen of the Universe. Known as the Titan of Beauty and Motherhood, Rhea was stunningly beautiful with warm and loving eyes. She was all three of her daughters put together, with only their positive factors. She was as sweet and loving as Hestia, as passionate as Demeter and was as beautiful as Hera. And above all, she was her children's most precious and important person; from Hades to Zeus, all of them loved their mother unconditionally.

Rhea, with her luscious blonde hair styled into an intricate braid, dressed in an elegant white dress that displayed her stunning beauty and womanly figure, stepped out to greet her favorite daughter with a smile.

"How was your first day at work, dear?"

Hestia rolled her eyes playfully at her mother's teasing and quickly wrapped her arms around hers. "It was quite fun; all the kids are adorable and well behaved, especially little Lacy." The godly mother and daughter stepped into their living room, "I met Annabeth as well, and as you would expect, she's like a little Athena."

Rhea smiled, "I still find it funny that those two found love in the same mortal."

"Mr. Namikaze is quite handsome, so he's bound to attract Aphrodite; Athena had told us that he's also very smart when it comes to warfare, though I have no idea how he would have such knowledge."

"If he is such a good man, perhaps _you_ would feel something for him."

Hestia rolled her eyes again and smiled at her mom, "Very funny, mom."

The mother and daughter sat down on their couches with Clash of the Titans playing on the TV. To Rhea, that movie was almost a comedy. Saying her eldest son used a part of his flesh to create a creature known as the Kraken certainly was an interesting concept and utterly hilarious. And if there was one thing Rhea thought should stop, it would be to stop giving past heroes bigger egos – Perseus only slayed Medusa and certainly did not kill an apocalyptic monster, that was reserved for someone else.

"Well, there is some bad news."

Rhea raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Hestia sighed and leaned back fully on the couch. "I met a student today – a friend of Annabeth, I think – and he has very peculiar green eyes." Rhea sighed; she already knew what was coming next. "The same shade as Poseidon's; his name is Percy."

"Your brothers are always like this."

"He broke his oath and now there's a half-blood who can fulfill the prophecy." Hestia rubbed her temples and pursed her lips. "If Hades finds out then young Percy may end up like young Thalia."

Rhea sighed once more before she stood up and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Well, no sense mulling over it by ourselves; I made us dinner."

Not only did Hestia inherit her warm and sweet personality from her mother, she also inherited her skills in cooking. Both their food would have the same homemade taste that all children and most adults would love. All Hestia's nieces and nephews loved her food, especially Artemis and Persephone. The last time Hestia made her famous Shepherd's Pie, the two young goddesses polished off at least ten servings.

"I made your favorite today, Tia."

Hestia smiled at the sight of sweet potato mash, fresh Greek salad and crispy calamari. "Thanks mom, you're the best."

"I know how to take care of my little girl," Rhea chuckled as she poured two glasses of wine, "Even though you're all tens of thousands of years old, you'll always be my little babies." She sat down next to Hestia at their sixteen seat dinner table of white marble, and snapped her fingers. "And I also know how to punish my babies." A pale blue glow emanated from her fingers and soon formed into a trident.

Hestia filled her plate before she looked over at her mother. "You're calling him now?"

"Yep." She replied with a smirk.

In under ten seconds, a rush of water suddenly appeared in the middle of the dining room and it collected into a humanoid figure. Soon, Poseidon, Earthshaker, King of Atlantis and God of the Seas, wearing his usual Birkenstocks, khaki shorts and an brightly colored Hawaiian shirt, smiled at his mother and quickly stepped forward.

"Hey mom, how are y-AHHH!" the God of the Seas jumped back at the sight of the calamari, "You cooked my people!"

Hestia giggled in her seat and decided to not eat her calamari while her brother was here. "Sit down, little brother."

"I think I'll stand," replied Poseidon with a sheepish grin; he didn't want to be near his deep-fried people.

"Sit down."

"Yes, mother."

Rhea dipped her calamari in some tzatziki sauce and popped it in here mouth, making her son wince. She stared into his green eyes, watching in silent amusement as he started to sweat. He may be not as scared of her as Zeus, but Rhea still prided herself in her influence over him.

"W-Why did you call me here, mother?"

Rhea smiled, "Your sister met an interesting young boy today," she said as she continued to enjoy her calamari. "His name is Percy," Poseidon winced again, "Would you happen to know him?"

Poseidon tried to think of a quick lie, but one look from his mother made him flinch. So before long, he just sighed. "I'm sorry, mother; I didn't mean to."

Hestia stood and grabbed her plate, "Enjoy your dinner, mom and good luck, little brother."

"N-No, Hestia don't leave!" At least with Hestia around, Rhea wouldn't be as scary!

Hestia giggled and waved before she vanished in a burst of flames, teleporting back to her room. Poseidon bit his lips as he turned back to his mother, sweating profusely at the stare she gave him – it made his wife's glare look tame and cute. Honestly, he would rather fight Hera and Demeter together than face his mother.

Rhea smiled as she pushed the plate of calamari towards her second eldest son. "Go on, dear; I made you dinner."

"M-Mothe-"

"Eat!"

Poseidon closed his eyes and slowly reached for the calamari; all the while wondering what kind of punishment did Zeus get for siring Thalia and Jason. In the Sea God's mind, he hoped Rhea made Zeus eat an eagle.

* * *

"I love steak!" exclaimed Lacy as she cut into her New York strip and chomped on a large piece, "And mashed potato!"

Annabeth giggled at her little sister and nodded along. "They're really good, but I'm waiting for the ice cream and sticky pudding." Lacy eyes twinkled, like any daughter of Aphrodite would when she heard the words _ice cream_ and lit up like a Christmas tree. "Dad also bought some sweetened popcorn for later."

"I love you, daddy!"

Naruto, who had already finished his steak, chuckled as he knelt next to the stack of DVDs they had beside the TV. "I love you too, princess."

The father was looking through their selection of movies; he bought a new stack of Disney and Pixar movies a few weeks ago and they never got around to watching most of them. But when the girls weren't looking, Naruto quickly threw away some of them – every one that were about mother-daughter bonds – he didn't want his girls to feel awkward or sad. He also hid some of the more romantic ones – he didn't want his princesses to start dating too soon; any date before turning eighteen was out of the question.

Any boy who would challenge his rule would end up like Ms. Turner.

"Can we watch _How to Train your Dragon_ again?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Come on, we've seen that so many times!"

"So what, it's a good movie!" Lacy pointed at her sister and glared, "You've made us watch _Night in the Museum_ a hundred times anyway!"

"Girls," said Naruto sternly, giving both his girls a look. "No fighting."

Annabeth crossed her arms, "How about we watch _101 Dalmatians_?"

"Fine," Lacy muttered.

Naruto smiled, "That's my good girls." The blond stretched his back and walked back into the kitchen. "Now both of you bring your finished plates to the counter and go find the DVD; I'll get the dessert ready and get the popcorn."

Annabeth and Lacy smiled and quickly placed their plates beside the sink. "Okay, thanks dad!"

Lacy hugged her dad's legs and smiled up at him, "You're the best, daddy!"

Naruto chuckled and playfully rubbed Lacy's hair. "Yep, I'm the best!"

* * *

**Olympus – Aphrodite Temple**

"NO!" cried the Goddess of Love angrily with her glare on full-blast. "I WILL NEVER DO THAT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, ATHENA!"

Athena would rarely visit the temples of other gods and goddesses except for meeting with Hestia at the main Hearth, and she would never really want to visit Aphrodite's temple, in other words, an oversized pink dollhouse with far too much perfume in the air. She had tried to convince herself to let it go, but just like the past ten thousand years, her rational side won.

"Calm down, Aphrodite." Athena sighed and rubbed her temples. "Just hear me out."

Aphrodite flared her power, which Athena thought was surprisingly powerful, "How can _you_ of all people ask me to do something so stupid?!" She walked up to the Wisdom Goddess and glared at her, "You were the one who fell for Naruto first and were angry at me for taking him and you think he's a great father for Annabeth; with all that I actually thought you still had feelings for him!"

"I do, Aphrodite, but this is for his own good." Athena leveled her grey eyes at the other goddess, flaring her own power. "It is also for the benefit of the girls; you know they need a mother-figure in her life."

"No, I will not pair him with some mortal woman!"

"Why not?" asked Athena. "Surely you don't think you can actually go back down and be with him, do you?" Aphrodite recoiled, clearly not used to arguing with the smartest being on Olympus. "Even if you manage to explain everything to Naruto and he falls in love with you again, do you know what Ares and Hephaestus would do to him?"

"W-Well, I'm sure they won-"

"Be realistic, Aphrodite; we've already affected his life enough; we should just find a suitable woman for him and have him life a happy and normal life." Athena sighed at Aphrodite's crestfallen expression and the sadness in her eyes. "I know you love him, perhaps even more so than your other lovers, but this is the best we can offer him."

"But…I still…"

"We don't have a choice." Athena placed a comforting hand on her the Love Goddess' shoulder and closed her eyes. "There are many good women around him we could pair him with."

_"Athena, Aphrodite?"_

The two goddesses' eyes widened at the familiar voice of the man they were current discussing. "N-Naruto?" muttered Aphrodite. "What's this?"

Athena smiled softly and crossed her arms. "He's praying to us."

* * *

In the decade that Naruto had spent with his daughters, he had never really prayed to their mothers. They had each told him that if he wanted to speak with them, he could pray to them. He had wanted to pray many times; perhaps it was nervousness or fear, but he had never actually prayed. A long time had passed, but deep inside his heart, he knew that he still had feelings for them. Athena, the brilliant and confident woman who challenged and attracted him at an intellectual level, and Aphrodite, the most passionate, loving and beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. It was not hard to believe their statuses as goddesses; they were just that glorious and beautiful.

But after many hours of thinking, he wanted to speak with them. He wanted to know if they knew how beautiful and wonderful their daughters had become.

"Athena, Aphrodite?" he said as he knelt by the side of his bed, his finger laced together – he knew that it was the wrong religion, but it was the only posture he could think of for praying. "Umm…" He had thought of many things to say, but none were coming at the moment.

He opened his mouth, but no sounds came out; he helplessly looked around before his eyes focused on a picture on his nightstand. It was a simple photo. It was him holding onto Annabeth's hand – it was a few years ago and her height only reached his waist – and Lacy sitting in his arms, still basically a toddler.

With a soft smile, he found his words. "Thank you…"

Unknown to him, the two goddesses heard him perfectly and were surprised at his words.

"Annabeth and Lacy are the greatest things that ever happened to me." He rose to his feet and grabbed the picture, "Thank you for giving me my little princesses." He lay on his bed and held the picture above his face, smiling at how happy his daughter looked. "They are perfect."

* * *

**Olympus – Aphrodite Temple**

"Oh, Naruto" Aphrodite smiled fondly at the voice of her lover as she sat down on her sofa in a daze. "You're so sweet."

Athena sat next to the Love Goddess and smiled along. "He really loves the girls."

**_"I'm sorry I haven't prayed for so many years; I guess I was a little nervous about it."_** Naruto's voice rang true in the minds of Athena and Aphrodite. **_"But I still remember both of you very well!"_**

"Still as loud and playful as ever," chirped Aphrodite.

**_"Just to get things out of the way: Athena, I still read a lot, like you told me to do; I've read almost a hundred books on Greek Mythology – urm, I guess it's not mythology, but yeah! Now I understand why you liked the owl cage so much when we went to the zoo and why you didn't like the Poseidon's Adventure movie – they chose the wrong name. But in my opinion, you clearly won that competition – olive trees are way cooler than horses."_**

"You got that right!" Athena smiled at how cheerful Naruto sounded; it reminded her so much of her days with the blond; she missed those days sometimes and even more so at the moment.

**_"Aphrodite, I made sure to import all kinds of candy from France and they are very demanded at the store, but Lacy usually cleans them out. I am still using the same haircut you made me get all those years ago; it attracts a little too much attention from the single moms at my daughters' schools, but I guess that just proves that you were right."_**

"Of course I'm right; you're absolutely gorgeous!"

**_"Anyway, I just wanted to check in and tell you both how great our little girls turned out. Oh I'm sure you both will love your daughters so much! Annabeth already loves architecture and beats me at chess; I bet she'll give you a run for your money soon, Athena."_** The Wisdom Goddess smiled and nodded fondly. **_"Lacy, on the other hand, acts a little too much like you, Aphrodite. She eats way too much candy and jumps and skips around when she has too much sugar. But no matter what, I will allow no boys to date her before she's eighteen; I have a shotgun ready to enforce that rule."_**

"Awe, that's no fun, Naruto!"

**_"Anyway, I make sure they eat right, take a bath every day, brush their teeth morning and night and go to sleep on time. Both of them have good friends at school and they have good grades, especially Annabeth, who gets straight A's almost every term."_**

Athena and Aphrodite smiled fondly, missing Naruto more and more with each passing word.

**_"Funny thing! We just watched 101 Dalmatians and now they want pets of their own. They don't want dogs, though; after that movie all they want are cats. I have no idea how watching a dog movie would make them want cats, but I can't understand everything. What do you two think, should I get them some pets?"_**

"Of course! Get Lacy a little kitten!"

"Annabeth would love one as well."

**_"OH, right! Lacy's teacher turned out to me a monster!"_**

"WHAT!" Aphrodite cried as she flared her power. Athena was very worried as well.

**_"It wasn't so bad; I managed to kill it with some luck, but I hope these attacks won't get worse."_**

Athena was shocked, "Naruto actually managed to kill a monster?"

**_"I can't find the weaknesses of monsters in the books I have, so if you can, please tell me an easy way of dealing with them. Anyway, I just wanted to catch up, wondering if you two ever think about me._** Athena frowned and Aphrodite bit her lips as her heart stung. **_"I promise I will speak with you two more from now on."_** He sighed and climbed under his covers, **_"Goodnight, Lady Artemis must be busy now because the moon is very bright tonight."_** With a brief moment of silence, Naruto contemplated his words, **_"Yeah, goodnight, Athena, Aphrodite."_**

The two goddesses were silent as they looked at each other, both thinking pretty much the same thing. With so few words, Naruto had reminded them of the times they shared together, and it made them miss him more and more. Even Athena felt a little worse at the thought of matching him with another woman and almost decided to retract her request to Aphrodite. In the end, all she wanted was for Naruto to be happy, and he should have a woman in his life for that.

"I'm not going to pair him with a mortal woman," said Aphrodite softly and sternly. "I will _never_ do that; I will find a way to make him happy, but I'm not going to force him to love a random woman." She stood and started to walk away, "There is nothing you can do that will change my mind."

Athena sighed and started to walk away herself, "I know." She teleported back to her own temple and thought, "I also want Naruto to be happy."

* * *

**The End!**

**I hope you all liked this chapter! **

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD**


	4. Love of Family

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 4**

* * *

**Olympus – Temple of Hera**

As the Queen of Olympus, Hera had the second largest temple on Olympus. Although she would usually stay in the Temple of Zeus to be close to her husband, she would still return to her own place on occasion. Decorated with statues of peacocks and staffs of lotus flowers, the gargantuan structure marked her greatness and divinity. Its wide-spread hallways would be constantly used by the hundreds of handmaidens of the Queen, all of them carrying trays of offerings and sacrifices of mortals to show the Goddess. Then, located at the epicenter of the temple, was Hera's sacred bath – a pool of the most sacred water in the universe and the very definition of purity.

Hera would take one sacred bath every year to celebrate her marriage to Zeus. It was perhaps the most sacred cradle of feminine grace in existence.

"Sorry, but no," said the Queen of Olympus without hesitation.

With her pretty hands clasped together, Aphrodite pouted at the Queen. "Please, Hera~" Her Charmspeak was on full-blast, which would probably work very well on all the male gods, but not nearly as effective on the most powerful Goddess. "It's not June and you won't need it until next year; just let me use it this one time."

The Queen sighed as she continued to water her lotuses. "The sacred bath is only for me and my marriage to Zeus." She looked back at the most beautiful Goddess and gave her a stern look. "I'm sure whatever escapade you plan to do with either of my sons is none of my business, but neither of them would care about you taking this bath."

"It's not Ares or Hephaestus!" Aphrodite glared at the Queen and flared some of her power. "Neither of your stupid sons deserves something like this!"

Hera would have been angry, but after so many years of dealing with her disappointing sons, she was more curious than angry. She looked back at Aphrodite with one eyebrow raised; in the millennia she had known the bubbly Goddess of Love, she had never seen her act so angrily so quickly. She would usually just nag at someone until she got what she wanted, but never would she flare her power and glare. Needless to say the Queen was interested.

"Then who is it?"

Aphrodite calmed and slowly approached Hera, "I really need your help with this." Her hands gently held onto the Queen's arm as she led them over to a long couch. "I've never felt like this before."

Hera sat down with the younger Goddess and pursed her lips. "I assume you are talking about some man you love?"

Aphrodite nodded and bit her lips. "I am the embodiment of love and lust, and I have been in love thousands of times before, but I've never felt like this before." She placed her hands on her lap and looked down at them with a sigh. "Even with Ares and Adonis, I've never felt so…so warm." Hera was genuinely surprised at what she was hearing and just remained silent. "Out of all the fathers of my children, he is the best, ever. I could feel the love he has for my little Lacy and it's incredible; I can say that it rivals the love Lady Rhea has for all of you."

Hera smiled, "I'm happy that such fathers exist."

Aphrodite smiled back. "Most of the fathers of my children and the fathers of the other Goddess' children would feel burdened to some degree, but he didn't. When I dropped the baby off to him he just smiled at me and held onto the bundle like it was the most precious thing in the world." Hera smiled at the warm smile on her fellow Goddess' face, one she was not used to seeing. "And when I watch him playing with his daughters I just get this warm feeling in my heart and it makes me want to go and be with him."

"Wow," Hera whispered with a soft smile. "I think for the first time in your immortal life, you have felt the love of a family, the kind of love a wife would feel for her husband." The Queen knew perfectly that her crippled son could never give Aphrodite such strong emotions, and neither could her disappointing warmonger of a son. "This is a part of my domain, so it's no surprise that you've never felt it before. The love of a married couple with children is completely different from your usual love between to people. To be able to see the man you love adore and take care of the product of your relationship with him is the most precious form of love." Hera gave a soft chuckle and placed a soft hand on the younger Goddess' face. "This form of love is the one I have yearned for ever since I was a young Goddess, and you are very lucky to have found it so easily. I can assure you that none of the Gods on Olympus could give you something like this."

Aphrodite was staring at Hera with widened eyes with her lips parted, "A-A family?"

She had thought about it before – the day she married Hephaestus – but that had been a bitter disappointment. There was a moment she thought she had felt something akin to it the day Eros was born, but when Ares didn't even show himself during the birthing, she knew it wasn't it. It was surprising and slightly horrifying to realize that none of her previous lovers had been good fathers.

"This is something very precious, especially for us Goddesses." Hera had seen many mortal couples with perfect little families and an amount of love that made her jealous; no immortals could act so lovingly when they know they could never die; that was the one thing the mortals had that the Gods didn't. "I don't see it very much in the mortal world and almost never for Goddesses."

"I understand what you're saying," Aphrodite whispered as she slowly looked up at the Queen. "I see many husbands and wives trying to preserve this kind of love and fail at the end. This kind of love can be very short lived, but is very strong. I can say that my _marriage_ did not give me anything close to this and I've never really felt this kind of love."

"Until now," said Hera with a smile.

That made Aphrodite's eyes widen again, but also made her smile.

"This is not lust or any physical attraction," continued Hera, "This is the bond between a mother and a father and the love between them is nurtured by their love for their child. This is the most basic and natural kind of love, but also one of the most rare, especially for us immortals." The Queen chuckled and shook her head, "Honestly, you are the last person I would expect to have a love like this."

"Well I don't think I'm the only one," Aphrodite whispered as she looked away. "Athena feels the same way, I could feel it."

"Wait a minute," said Hera with her hand rose, "Is this mortal the one you and Athena both had a child with? The one Demeter told me about?"

The Love Goddess sighed and nodded, "Yes, it is."

Hera laughed a little and sighed with a smile. "I guess you both desire the same kind of love, the love of family and the warm and secure feelings that come with it. You may have lots of experience with love and lust before, and Athena may firmly believe that the meeting of the mind is the purest form of love, but subconsciously, the notion of a functional and loving family is irresistible to both of you." The Queen smiled happily, "I would know, this is my domain."

Aphrodite bit her lips and nodded. "I believe you."

Hera stood from her seat and returned to watering her lotuses, "Feel free to use my bath." Aphrodite looked up at her in shock, clearly surprised. "I can make this one exception; hopefully after this, the Goddess of Love will be more lenient towards the love lives between of husbands and wives."

The most beautiful Goddess stood and smiled. "Don't worry, I definitely will."

* * *

"When are we going to buy our costumes, daddy?!" cried Lacy with a large pout on her face, making Naruto smile. "I want to buy the pink princess dress with the tiara!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You go as a princess every single year, Lace." She held onto her dad's hand and tried to drag him so he'd walk faster. "Why don't you just use the same one as last year; you haven't grown that much."

Lacy stuck her tongue out at her sister as she continued t tug at her daddy's hand. "Shut up, Annie!" She glared at Annabeth, but she looked more cute than threatening. "_You_ pick all the ugly costumes so what do you know?!"

"Shush, girls," said Naruto sternly. "No fighting."

It was mid-October and the ever popular Halloween was approaching. Just like the last two years – from when Lacy was old enough to want to dress up – the youngest Namikaze daughter would constantly beg her daddy to go buy her costume. She went as a princess every year and her dress would be pink every year, but she also wanted a new dress every year. Naruto didn't mind, Lacy was just acting like her mother.

"We'll all go buy our costumes this weekend."

"Yay!" cried Lacy as she hugged her daddy's waist, "Thanks, daddy!"

Naruto kissed Lacy's head before he unlocked their house door and walked in. They had just returned from buying some groceries and because they walked passed the costume store Lacy had begun firing her questions. Halloween was Lacy's favorite time of the year, even more so than Christmas and the New Year's Eve. Candy and chocolates were almost better than Christmas trees and fireworks.

"What are you going as, Annabeth?"

Annabeth grinned at her dad, "I want to go as Lady Liberty!"

Naruto chuckled and kissed her head, "That's perfect for you."

"Hey!" exclaimed Lacy as she pointed at their living room. "What's that?!"

Naruto looked over and immediately grew suspicious. There was a cardboard box in the middle of their living room and it was closed. No one had a key to their house and he didn't order anything that would come in a box. He pushed his daughters behind his legs and walked to the box himself, wondering if he should just kick the box or something.

But he was sure glad he didn't when he opened it.

'OH MY GOSH!" cried Lacy as loudly as she could when she saw the contents of the box. "IT'S SO CUTE!"

The little girl gushed and nearly pushed her dad to the ground when she ran to the box and reached into it. She had shaky arms as she held a small kitten in her arms; its fur was as white as snow and had solid black eyes that screamed innocent. It yawned in Lacy's arm and snuggled itself against her fluffy jacket, making her gush more and squeal.

Annabeth also had stars in her eyes when she saw another grey kitty in the box. She wasn't as excited as her little sister, but she also gave a light squeal as she held the grey cutie in her arms. It had the same eyes as her sister's kitty, but it looked smarter and didn't laze around in her arms and was looking around with great curiosity.

"THANK YOU, DADDY!" Lacy practically jumped into her daddy's arms and snuggled into him, all the while crying out thank you and thank you. "I LOVE YOU, DADDY; YOU'RE THE BEST DADDY IN THE WHOLE WORLD!"

Annabeth also hugged her dad and smiled up at him. "Thanks, dad; I had wondered if you would buy us some pets, but I didn't know you'd buy them for us so soon! I thought you'd wait until Christmas."

Naruto chuckled nervously and nodded. "It's okay, girls. You've both been really good and deserve it." He had wondered if someone had sneaked into his house, but when he saw the small owl symbol drawn onto the bottom of the box, he knew. Apparently, his prayer to the mothers of his children had been answered.

_"Thank you, Athena, Aphrodite."_

Then his cell-phone rang in his pocket.

"Hello?" he said after he pulled away from his daughters' hugs, smiling at them as they ran off into their playing area with their kittens in their arms. "This is Naruto Namikaze."

_"Hello, Naruto."_

Naruto flinched at the voice; it reminded him of his lectures back at University and him getting in trouble with his favorite professor. But at the same time, he felt extremely happy at hearing her voice again; it had been a very long time and he had wondered if he would ever hear from her again. To be honest to himself, he had expected to not ever hear from her again.

"A-Athena?"

A soft chuckle came from the other side. _"It's Ms. Olympia, Naruto."_

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the nostalgia and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

_"And don't call me ma'am!"_ Athena gave a melodic laugh before she continued. _"So I assume the girls like their little pets?"_

"Like isn't the word," he replied with a smile as he turned around to look at his daughters. "More like love or utterly adore."

_"That's good,"_ Just from hearing the voice, Naruto could see the smile on the Goddess' face. _"Aphrodite and I both chose the kittens personally; I know Annabeth would like the color grey and Aphrodite insisted on the white for Lacy."_

Naruto felt emotional and rubbed his eyes. "S-So you watch over Annabeth?"

_"Of course I do, Naruto."_ Athena frowned and bit her lips. _"She is my daughter, Naruto; I love her and no matter where she is, I will watch over her."_

"Thank you…"

_"I need you to do something now."_ Naruto focused again at her words and made her to pay attention. _"Go to your bedroom; there is something for you as well."_ He wanted to ask more, but she spoke up again. _"Talk to you again soon, Naruto."_

The call was ended and Naruto felt his words die in his mouth. But then he asked himself: what did he want to say? He didn't really know, but he wanted to say something that will keep Athena on the line. Perhaps she'd known and ended the call before he could say anything? After all, she had not spoken with him for such a long time. Perhaps she only cared for Annabeth and he was the channel she could use to reach her daughter. Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes; he didn't want to think about it.

He headed up to his room.

Every step of the stairway to the second floor was tough. Naruto didn't know what to expect. He had read about the gifts from the gods in the mountains of books he had in his room, but he still had no idea what Athena left for him. Based on their past together, the one thing she would most likely give him was an essay assignment. His mind raced as he listed out the gifts he had read about in his books and pondered the possibility that it may be something affectionate. He knew it was less than probable, but perhaps Athena still thought about him in her immortal life and wanted to give him something to remind him of her.

All these possibilities filled his mind, but they were all obliterated when he entered his room.

"Hello, Naruto."

It was her, still as stunning and brilliant as ever. She was wearing something fitting of her stature as a Goddess – a pure white chiton with golden linings. Her feet were bare and there were golden strands decorated in her beautiful black tresses. She smiled at him with more affection than he had ever seen from her; her grey eyes danced with joy and slight amusement. She looked perfect.

Naruto's eyes were dazed for a brief moment before blinked and rubbed his eyes, making Athena frown a little.

"It's really me."

"A-Athena," Naruto stared at her in shock as he slowly stepped closer to her. "You're a-actually here." She nodded with a soft smile, feeling a little sad and guilty. "I-I never thought I'd see you again."

"You may not see me often, but I constantly watch over you." She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek, "Both you and Annabeth."

Without thinking, Naruto wrapped his arms around Athena and pulled her close. He had dreamed about seeing her again after so long but he'd never thought it would actually happen. Seeing Athena again really made him realize just how much he had missed her – missed her brilliance, her beautiful smile, her warm aura, and even her intimidating grey eyes. He wanted to make sure she was real and was tangible; he wanted to have her in his arms. She felt the same as he would imagine; she was shorter than him with her face leveled with his chest and she had an amazing scent, one that reminded him of soft roses.

"I missed you."

Athena was shocked. Other than her father, no one had never been hugged her so tightly and affectionately before. None of the other fathers of her children would dare touch her hand, much less hug her. She thought she would push him away, but she couldn't. All she thought at the moment was how warm and peaceful it felt in his arms and how loved she felt. Then she heard his words. _I missed you;_ so simple, yet so heavy. She had missed_ him_ over the years. She had wondered if he would be angry or resentful of her, but all those worries vanished the moment she felt his arms around her.

Naruto gently pulled back from the hug, but still hand his hands on her arms. "I-I'm…" He didn't know what to say; he had thought of many things to say to either Athena or Aphrodite if they were to visit him, but none were coming to mind.

"You don't have to say anything," she whispered with a smile. "I missed you, too."

"Really?"

Athena nodded. "Both Aphrodite and I would often watch you taking care of Annabeth and Lacy, and we would smile every time. You're a great father, Naruto," she lightly traced his cheek as she spoke, making his heart flutter. "It's a shame that you didn't pray to us for so long, but we heard you loud and clear a few nights ago."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I understand that part."

"I have a gift for you, Naruto." Athena snapped her fingers and two items appeared before her, just hovering in the air – one a golden watch and one a golden ring. "This is a gift that I had given Perseus, thousands of years ago." She snapped her fingers again and the watch magically appeared on Naruto's left wrist. "Try tapping the face of the watch twice."

Naruto looked at the Goddess and nodded before he tapped the face of the watch. "Whoa!" The watch suddenly morphed into a golden shield the size of a large catering platter and had the face of medusa emblazed on its face. "Aegis," he whispered.

Athena smiled. "You've been reading." He smiled back and nodded. "This is a version of my original Aegis; it is made out of a metal called Imperial Gold; it is very strong and durable. It will protect you from most, if not all the monsters that will come for our daughter." She snapped her fingers again and the golden ring appeared on his right pinky. "Now try to rub the side of the ring with your right thumb."

"Oh my gods!" As soon as he rubbed the ring a golden spear appeared in his hand. It was taller than his person at about eight feet long. Its tip was a brilliant gold than was perhaps even more magnificent than its body. The point looked extremely deadly and had a gleam to it that made Naruto feel excited.

"Imperial Gold is a prideful metal, Naruto, and its point will only pierce supernatural beings; it will not harm mortals. The spear will simply ignore simple humans; you are the only normal human who could use it since I have blessed you."

Naruto looked at the mother of his child in gratitude. "Thank you, Athena."

She shook her head with a small frown. "I should be sorry that this is all I can do; the ancient laws prevent us from helping our children directly, so aiding you is the most I could do." Athena looked into Naruto's azure eyes as she spoke, "Annabeth is my daughter and I love her, but I can only guide her from above; I cannot physically help her."

"It's alright," said Naruto with strong conviction. "Annabeth and Lacy are my life, and I will protect them no matter what."

Athena smiled proudly. "I know you will; I have downloaded some files onto your personal computer and it includes many styles to use your spear. You can learn from there, and given your brilliant mind for warfare and strategies, I'm sure you'll be able to protect our little girl."

"I promise that I will."

Athena gave him a sad smile and slowly leaned up to kiss him lightly on the cheek, the first kiss she ever gave him. "I'm sorry for putting so much on your shoulders, but my father, Zeus is really strict about these matters."

Naruto gently wrapped his arms around Athena again and nodded. "I really do understand."

She looked up at him in the hug, their faces only an inch apart. "Thank you," she whispered before she kissed him on the cheek again.

Naruto knew that she would be leaving soon, he could tell by the look in her eyes. This might be the last time he would ever see Athena, the mother of his eldest daughter and one of the two women he had loved. He decided to just say what he wanted to say.

"Athena," he started, making her stare into his eyes. His hand slowly reached up and gently cupped her cheek; he felt her flinch a little, but decided to press on. "Just this one time…" he whispered as Athena nervously breathed out. "Will you allow me to kiss the mother of my child?"

Never in her immortal life had Athena imagined that she would give such an answer.

"…Yes."

Then, without another thought, he pressed his lips against hers.

Her lips were softer than he had ever imagined. They tasted sweet, a subtle sweet. He held her cheek and softly caressed her flawless face as his other arm held her in place. He slowly moved his lips against hers and pressed further to add more pressure to it. He dared not initiate anything beyond their lips touching, but to his ever shock, he left Athena lick his lips.

All that inhibited him vanished in an instant and he responded instantly. His tongue snaked out and immediately made contact with Athena's – the mere thought of that made him weak in the knees. If she tasted subtly sweet before, she tasted like honey now. He wrestled her tongue with his as he pulled her closer, holding her tightly against his chest.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was to enjoy the kiss as much as he could and make it last as long as he could. So it would until he ran out of breath that he slowly parted their lips. He quickly breathed in again and repeatedly planted a series of small kissed on Athena's lips, his heart skipping a beat every single time they made contact. But he knew that he should stop there.

He rested his forehead against hers and opened his eyes. "Wow…" Then he saw her eyes and the tears welling in them. He grew concerned immediately and was about to ask, but she cut him off. She kissed him again and wrapped her arms around behind his neck. She repeatedly pecked his lips as tenderly as she could before she pulled away.

She was panting and her arms were still tangled behind his neck; her forehead was once against rested against his. Some tears escaped her eyes as she stared into Naruto's shocked and confused, but affectionate and loving eyes.

"I love you, Naruto, never forget that." She started to glow as she pulled away from the hug, and it was getting brighter and brighter by the second.

Naruto was still holding onto her hand and smiled at her. "I'll never forget," he replied. "I love you, too." There was a bright flash as Athena turned into her divine form and vanished from the room in a brilliant beacon of light, leaving Naruto alone in his room. There was still a smile on his face as he looked down at his new watch and ring, relishing in the fact that Athena watched over them and loved them. "I'll never forget about you, Athena."

"DADDY, DADDY!"

He rubbed his eyes as a bright smile appeared on his face; it appeared that his daughters had finally noticed that he was gone from the living room. He heard the rumbling of footsteps running up the stairs and he watched as his two girls burst into his room with their new pets in their arms. Lacy jumped into his arms as Annabeth hugged him from the side.

Naruto smiled and kissed both of them on the cheek. "What is it, girls?"

Lacy hugged her white kitty and rubbed her face with hers. "I named my kitty Toothless!" Her father only laughed that she would name her cat after a dragon from her favorite movie.

"I named mine Einstein!" Annabeth looked proud of the name she chose and grinned up at her dad.

"Perfect," he said as he smiled and hugged both his daughters close, "Just perfect."

* * *

**The End!**

**Okay, this chapter gave many more hints at the pairing of this story. I know that there are several possible Goddesses that Naruto may end up with, and I love the uncertainty! Who will it be?! XD**

**PS. The next chapter will mostly feature Aphrodite!**

**PPS. If anyone is interested in doing a _Reading Story_ for this story, please tell me. I would love to see one! XD_  
_**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	5. The First Day Together

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 5**

* * *

"Hello, Artemis."

The Goddess of the Hunt and Moon was surprised to see her half-sister standing inside her tent. After a tiring but successful day of hunting creatures of all kinds, the last thing she expected was to see the Goddess of Wisdom. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time Athena had visited her hunting camp; they would usually meet on Olympus around their Aunt's hearth.

She raised an eyebrow as she placed her equipment on her impromptu bed. "Hey Athena, what brings you here?" Artemis then saw the confusion and slight sadness in her sister's grey eyes and stepped closer to her. "Is something the matter?"

Athena bit her lips as she smiled sadly at the huntress. "Do you have time to talk?"

Artemis grew concerned and nodded, "Of course."

To say that Artemis was surprised would be an understatement. Athena, perhaps the most dangerous Goddess on Olympus and one of the most intimidating beings in existence, was the last person she would expect to be troubled as such. Out of the three Virgin Goddesses, never had Artemis thought that Athena would be the first to kiss a male. She had seen the men her sister had her brain-children with and all of them were purely intellectual mortals that would always maintain a fair distance from her, indicating their purely platonic and intellectual relationship. For Athena to actually kiss one of them was equivalent of saying Lady Hera cheated on Zeus.

Artemis saw the clear distress and confusion in the most intelligent Goddess in existence, and it troubled her. In the thousands of years she had known her sister, never had she seen nor would have expected to her to wear such an expression. It was as if she was hurt and conflicted simultaneously and it affected her ability to make quick and intelligent decisions. For one, it seems, the Goddess Athena had no plan.

She had thought that Aphrodite was the only one who missed that _Naruto_ person. Artemis agreed that he was a great father and held no ill-will for him, but no matter what, Artemis would never let any man take advantage of her sister. If this man had perverted thoughts for Athena, she would shoot him down.

"I don't know what to do…" Athena whispered as she stared down at her hands. "I never intended to kiss him, but I did and accepted it." She looked up at Artemis, who still looked stoic, "And I really enjoyed it."

"Did he take advantage of you?" asked the huntress with a dangerous edge in her voice.

"No!" Athena quickly shook her head and looked up at her sister. "Naruto would never do something like that. He actually asked if he could kiss me…and I gave him permission." She looked away when she saw Artemis' shock. "It was like nothing I have never experienced before, Artemis."

Artemis sighed as she reached for Athena's hand. "It's okay, Athena." She held onto her sister's hand and scooted closer to her. "But tell me honestly: what do you feel for that mortal?"

"I-I don't know." Athena bit her lips again as she looked at her sister. "I thought he was just the same as the others – just a smart man with a great mind with whom I had a child – but when I see him playing with Annabeth and heard how he prayed to me, my feelings changed. He was so sincere and genuine." She played with the hem of her dress and refused to meet the eyes of her fellow virgin goddess. "And when he hugged me, I felt like my heart was going to beat through my chest. I knew I should have pulled away, but I didn't want to; I wanted him to hold me. It felt warm and…nice." Reluctantly, Athena looked up at her sister and asked, "Don't be offended, but is this how you felt with Orion?"

Artemis stared at her sister with great shock and slowly shook her head, "No, not at all." She cleared her throat and quickly spoke when she saw Athena's embarrassed expression. "I admired Orion's prowess as a hunter and favored his behavior towards women, but it ended there. I never hugged him or kissed him, and I wouldn't have even if he didn't die." Thinking over her words, the huntress continued, "Right now, you sound like you love the man."

Athena sighed and looked to the side. "I-I might actually love him…"

"Just who in Hades is this man?" Artemis rubbed her temples and shook her head. "It's weird enough that he has Aphrodite missing him, now he has _you_ falling for him."

"He's special, Artemis." Athena had a large blush as she spoke. "He just has this warm and loving aura and I feel very safe and relaxed around him." She had a small smile as she looked back at her sister. "Even back then, before our daughter was born, he could always make me laugh and I was always happy around him."

Shoving the disturbing image of a laughing Athena aside, Artemis smiled. "I've never seen you like this."

"So what do you think I should do?"

Artemis sighed and held onto her sister's hands. "As much as I know you would hate this, you should go speak with Aphrodite." Before Athena could object, she continued, "She is the Goddess of Love and she is in love with the same person, so no one will understand more than she." The huntress smiled when Athena gave up her retort. "Just go sit down with her and talk it out; I'll even go with you if it would help."

Athena squeezed her sister's hands pleadingly, "Yes, please go with me."

"Alright then, let us go home."

* * *

It was a perfect morning. It was a cold night and it made the warm sanctuary of the bed all the better. The sheets were warm and crisp against his skin and his blanket was just the perfect canopy to lie over his bare torso. Apollo's Sun Chariot was starting to drive over the horizon and the faintest rays of sunlight shone into the room, painting the white walls orange. He had a smile on his face as he slowly regained awoke and he blissfully turned to his side and pulled his spare pillow towards him.

He must have slept on his right arm because the pillow felt a little heavy, but nonetheless, he hugged it close to his chest. It was so soft and warm, but for some reason also smelled very nice, like jasmine or honeysuckle. He started to rub his cheek against the top of the pillow, but furrowed his brows when he felt something odd. It seemed that his pillow had hair, long luscious silky hair.

His rationality came to him and he opened his eyes.

A pair of violet eyes stared back at him as a melodic voice spoke, "Good morning, my handsome fishcake." His eyes widened and was about to cry out in shock, but was silenced when the woman slammed her lips against his. A pair of arms snaked behind his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss; a soft and warm tongue licked his power lip and he instinctively opened his mouth. A nice morning wrestling match between two tongues was initiated and he found himself losing the match. She ravished his mouth with extreme vigor and pushed him until he was flat on his back. It was until she was lying on top of him with her bare breasts pressed against his chest that she broke the kiss. She gave him a bright smile and a wink, "Don't yell, you don't want to wake the girls."

His lips were still tingly from the kiss as he stared up at the familiar and loving eyes, "A-Aphrodite?"

The Goddess kissed him softly again and smiled against his lips. "Did you miss me?"

It took him a few seconds, but he managed to wrap his shaky hands around her slim waist. His mind was still racing and wondering if he was dreaming a beautiful scene, but he figured that it was real. He could really feel his lover lying on top of him, feel her wonderful breasts pressed against him, and feel her soft lips nibble at his. She was really here; Aphrodite was really here.

Aphrodite gently caressed his cheek and combed her fingers through his soft blond hair. "I really missed you, Naruto." She rested her cheek on his shoulder and snuggled against him, reveling in his warmth. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to come see you like this." At his silence, she looked up and stared into his widened eyes, "To come see my sweet Naruto."

He shakily reached up to cup her face and tenderly ran his thumb over her cheek, making her smile and lean into the warmth of his hand. She was still as stunning as the last time they met and his heart was beating out of his chest. He couldn't help but smile up at her. His other hand brushed several strands of her long red hair behind her ear and lightly rubbed her earlobe, just like he would often do back when they were together.

It felt so familiar, yet it had been many years since then.

"I've missed you so much," he finally whispered, making her bite her lips. "I-I can't believe you actually came to see me." He gently pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her frame, holding her as close as he could as tenderly as he could. "I never thought I'd see you again."

She felt small against his frame, but also fitted perfectly; it was a little hard to believe that he was cuddling with an almighty Goddess. He had no idea why she suddenly visited – maybe she wanted to gift him with something like Athena did – but he didn't care. All he knew was that he wanted to keep her with him for as long as possible. He didn't dare let her go; he didn't want to see her vanish like she did all those years ago.

Aphrodite kissed his jawline and pressed her cheek against his, "Hey, don't worry." She smiled sadly as she pulled away a little from their hug. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

He stared into her eyes with a little hope, "Really?"

"I've been holding back since there is an ancient law preventing me from coming to see you, but seeing how Athena broke the law anyway, I no longer care," Aphrodite tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him again on the lips. "I'm coming to see my Naruto and I'm going to stay as long as I can."

Naruto pulled her close and kissed her again, relishing in her soft and tender lips. "This better not be a dream…"

She couldn't help but feel sad at his tone and kissed him back, "This is real, Naruto; I'm really here." The Goddess continued to kiss her lover tenderly, gently sucking on his lower lip as she pulled away. "I-I'm sorry for leaving you alone; I didn't want to, but even the Gods have to abide to ancient laws most of the time. It's stupid, really, but it's been that way for millennia." She held him close and kissed him with as much love as she could muster, "I really love you, Naruto, I really do."

He smiled against her lips and nodded, "I know." He stared into her eyes and spoke, "I love you, too."

Some tears welled in her eyes and a few managed to escape. "I watch over you and Lacy constantly, Naruto. You are the best father I have seen in the past thousand years. I can feel the love you have for our little girl and the love she has for you, and it is rare, especially among children of the gods." She snuggled closer to him and rested her head in the crook of his neck, "But from now on I promise that you won't be doing it alone, I will be here with you and be the mother both the girls need."

Naruto was surprised, "B-Both the girls?"

Aphrodite smile, "Athena loves Annabeth like I do Lacy, so I guess when she's not here I could act as her mom as well." She pulled back to look into Naruto's widened eyes, "The girls need a mother-figure in their lives, and while I haven't got much experience with being a nice and loving mother, I intend to do my best. I'll even ask for Hera's help if I have to."

The blond was stunned and couldn't think of what to say, so he did the only thing he could at the moment: he kissed her with as much compassion as he could muster. "Thank you," he managed to mutter against her lips as his emotions overwhelmed him. "I love you." He pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her, ravishing her mouth, just as she liked all those years ago.

She kissed back vigorously, "I love you, too."

Suddenly there was a series on knocks on his door. "Dad, are you okay?"

Naruto's eyes widened at Annabeth's voice and quickly broke the kiss. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, honey." He got off of the Goddess and quickly threw on his bathrobe, just in case. "What is it?"

"You usually come wake me up before my alarm clock goes off."

Aphrodite giggled quietly at the sight of Naruto trying to outsmart his daughter with Athena, "I'm sorry sweetie, but I slept in a little and forgot to." He sent the Goddess a pleading look as he continued to think of excuses. "I'll go make breakfast in a bit; just go wake up your sister and help her get ready."

Annabeth sighed and started to walk away, "Fine."

"You're such an adorable father~" Aphrodite climbed out of bed, revealing her completely naked body to her lover. Naruto's blood rushed to _both_ his heads and it made Aphrodite giggle. "You definitely deserve a reward~" She kissed his neck and delicately licked her way to his jawline, "But I think your daughters are waiting for you to cook for them."

Naruto felt hot under the collar and reached down to grab one of her perfect ass cheeks. "You're really making it hard for me."

She giggled and rubbed against him, "In more than one way." The Goddess smiled as she leaned up to peck him on the lips, "But if you don't want that genius of a daughter of yours to find out about me too soon, you better get out there and start cooking like a good family man." She giggled again at his frown and winked at him, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you your reward tonight~"

"Fine, but where are going to do now?"

"Don't worry; I can become invisible to everyone but you." She patted him on the ass and pushed up towards the door, "Now to take care of the girls."

* * *

**Olympus – Aphrodite's Temple**

"Find her anywhere?"

Athena shook her head at her sister with a frown; they had searched all over Olympus for the Goddess of Love and still couldn't find her. They had asked Eros and some of her handmaidens, but none had seen her since the night before.

Artemis sighed and shook her head, "Sometimes that airhead is harder to find than some of the sneakiest creatures I hunt."

"Maybe she's over at Ares' Temple."

The Goddess of the Hunt sighed and shrugged, "It's possible, though I hate that place. If I hear one more story about one of his _manly wars_ I will put an arrow in his kneecap."

Athena smiled and pulled her sister along, "Come on, sister."

* * *

"Daddy, I want ten strips of bacon, please!" exclaimed Lacy with a grin, "And five eggs and ten sausages!"

Naruto smiled at his little princess and shook his head, "You'll have the usual, sweetie.

Annabeth was munching on a bowl of cereal as she waited for the hot breakfast; she was looking down at her lap where she was hiding a book. She was reading about the building procedure of the Parthenon in Greece and was almost up to the part where it would describe the statue of Athena, her favorite Greek Goddess. Though she would often look up to check if her dad was looking back at her; he didn't like it when she would read at the dinner table.

"Yeah, I'll just have the usual, dad."

Unknown to the girls, Aphrodite was sitting right next to them with a happy smile on her face. She was wearing a simple bathrobe after Naruto had asked her to – he didn't want to see her naked while his daughters were in the same room – and was happily humming a tune as she watched the girls interact.

"Annie is so much like Athena it's hilarious." Naruto smiled when he heard his lover's voice – he was also the only one who could hear her. "I always see her doting all of us around on Olympus just like how Annie would dot Lacy around. She's a nice big sister."

Naruto placed two plates down on the table and smiled at his lover, "Eat up, girls. We don't have a lot of time this morning."

Aphrodite rested her chin in one hand and winked at Naruto, who was trying to act normal. Her robe was not tied very well and the amount of cleavage shown was distracting him. He was even glad that Annabeth was trying to sneak in some reading time while breakfast; she is far too focused in her book that she didn't notice his slight blush and fidgety reflexes.

"You know," started Aphrodite with an amused smile. "You've never really cooked for me before."

The blond sent her a pleading look while trying to convey a message with his eyes, and it made her laugh. Back when they were together, they mostly went on dates to fancy restaurants, went dancing at clubs, or were trying the kinds of candy Naruto would order from France. They actually never really spent a normal day at home and cooked their own meals.

"You better cook for me tonight."

"Daddy!" Naruto jumped a little at his baby girl's voice. "We're going to the costume store tomorrow, right?"

Naruto smiled and nodded, "Yep!"

"Can Percy come with us as well?" asked Annabeth as she looked up from her book. "He's going to be trick-o-treating with us anyway."

Lacy giggled and winked at her sister, "Yeah, Annie wants her boyfriend to come with us~"

Aphrodite squealed and clapped her hands, "Oh, Lacy might be on to something here!"

"Um, you and Percy aren't dating each other, right?" Naruto paled a little at the thought of his princess having a boyfriend. He actually liked Percy, so he couldn't use his shotgun on him, and that made it even worse. "Remember, no dates until you're eighteen."

"DAD!" cried the daughter of Athena with a deep blush. "Percy is not my boyfriend!"

Aphrodite squealed again and clapped, "Aww, she's so adorable."

Annabeth avoided everyone's glances and quickly put her book away in her backpack. "It's time for school; let's go." She jumped out of her seat and swung her backpack onto her back, but did not walk away before she sent Lacy a glare. "Come on, dad!"

Lacy giggled again and followed after her sister, "Why, are you meeting up with Percy at school?"

"Shut up!"

"Hey, you can't be this rude to Percy, you know~" Lacy poked her sister's ribs and laughed at her red face. "I mean, you call him Seaweed-Brain all the time; sooner or later he won't like you anymore." Annabeth glared at the shorter girl, her grey eyes gleaming. "Don't be mad at me, it's not my fault you're bad at this stuff."

"You're five years old; you shouldn't even know about these things!"

Lacy crossed her arms and shook her head, "And you're nine years old, you _should_ know about these things. And how come you're so smart at everything, but so dumb when you talk about Percy?"

Annabeth, with a deft and skill swipe, ran her fingers through Lacy's and messed up her curls. "And it's not my fault that you're so dumb at doing your own hair!"

"Hey!" Lacy was outraged, "Fix my hair!"

The older blonde girl smirked and leaned closer to her sister, "No, do it yourself!"

Aphrodite nearly fell off her chair from laughing so hard. Annabeth and Lacy acted almost exactly like her and Athena; the only difference would be instead of Athena messing up her hair, she would threaten her with a giant spear. It was adorable to see such symmetry between their children and them. As much as Athena may annoy or anger her, Aphrodite did enjoy their occasional squabble – except the ones where Athena would suggest her pair Naruto with some random mortal woman.

"Okay girls, stop fighting." Naruto stood and gave them both a stern stare. "Come on, we don't want to be late for school."

* * *

**Olympus – Ares' Temple **

"Nah, I have no idea where she is." The God of War gave the Goddess of Warfare an annoyed look as he continued to sharpen his golden blade. "I've been looking for her for days already, but for some reason she is avoiding me or something." He sighed and shook his head, "She's hiding her aura and I can locate her no matter how hard I try."

Artemis smirked, "Maybe she finally woke up and decided to not be with you?" The Goddess of the Moon never understood why Aphrodite would want to be with her half-brother; he was such a bloodthirsty moron and was idiotic constantly, even more so than her twin.

Ares growled and the fire in his eyes flared, literally. "Watch it, Huntress."

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Athena, giving her brother a stern stare with her stormy eyes.

Ares shivered a little at the look. "About a week ago, but she was acting weird back then as well." He resisted the urge to rub his recently healed cheek; the Goddess of Love could be very strong when she wanted to. "After that she started to avoid me and I haven't seen her since."

_'A week ago,'_ thought Athena as she crossed her arms, _'That about when we watched Naruto and the girls through Aunt Hestia's hearth.'_

Artemis sighed, "Maybe we should just wait a while; I'm sure she'll show up sooner or later."

Athena turned away and pulled her sister along, "I think it's time to find our other brother." She gave the Huntress a knowing look, which made her groan. "He is the all-seeing."

"Come on, he's so annoying."

* * *

It had been a long time since Aphrodite had ridden a car, but it was quite nice. The mortals seemed to have made significant improvement to their transportation; the last time she rode a car it moved much slower. Though the overall experience of the ride was probably so good because it was Naruto who was driving the car and the two little girls were in the backseat glaring at each other.

"I said I'm sorry, Annie!" Lacy glared at her sister as she held a small mirror to check her hair. "Can you please fix my hair?"

The older sister's grey eyes looked down at Lacy and made the little girl shiver, "No, this will teach you to never tease me again."

"But I wasn't lying!" Lacy pouted and brushed her hair. "I know you have a crush on Percy and you're just too scared to admit it!"

Annabeth glared at her and gritted her teeth, "I don't have a crush on him!"

Naruto groaned and shook his head at the noise. Normally he would have stopped their bickering as soon as it started, but the current subject was highly uncomfortable for him. The mere fact that one of his little girls may have a crush on a boy was a little devastating and he was already having a hard time coping with it.

Aphrodite, on the other hand, was quite happy. "I think Lacy is right about Annabeth," she chirped with a bright smile. "She's still a little young, but some puppy love can't hurt."

The father of two looked over at his lover with pleading eyes, praying silently to her that Annabeth would remain a little girl forever and won't fall for some boy. But the Goddess only smiled back at him and giggled at his troubled expression. She was having the time of her life; spending time like a family was really a lot of fun – not her usual type of fun, but a harmonious fun. She even conjured a nice normal outfit for herself – a simple pair of grey skinny jeans, a red silk shirt and a black blazer – to match the simple mood of their day.

"Okay, we're here!" exclaimed Naruto as they drove into the school parking lot, obviously relieved that he wouldn't have to listen to the conversation along longer. "Enjoy your classes and I'll be here at the usual time."

Annabeth routinely kissed her dad on the cheek and jumped out of the car, but not before glaring at her sister once more; Lacy, on the other hand, had a pout on her as she left the car, still trying to fix her hair to no avail. Though Aphrodite felt sympathetic for her little girl and snapped her fingers, instantly fixing her hair.

"Ha! Look, Annie!" cried Lacy as she ran to catch up with her sister. "I fixed it all by myself!"

Aphrodite laughed and reached for Naruto's hand, "The girls are so cute!"

Naruto smiled and squeezed her hand affectionately, "You should see them when they're cranky; they'll drive you crazy."

"I will," she said immediately with a smile. "I'm going to stay with you, remember?" The blond couldn't have been happier at that moment and silently nodded. "And you will soon find out that they will be even crankier when they start having their periods."

"DON'T EVEN SPEAK ABOUT THAT!"

* * *

**Olympus – Apollo's Temple**

"LIL' SIS!" cried an ecstatic Apollo as he ran towards Artemis, but quickly stopped when a pale arrow nearly pierced his head.

Artemis gritted her teeth and smacked her brother atop the head. "For the last time, I am not your little sister!" The Goddess of the Hunt pulled on Apollo's ear and dragged him closer, "I helped Mother birth you, so I'm the older twin!"

Athena sighed and just waited silently for them to stop. She had forgotten the last time she visited the God of the Sun's temple and her eyes were a little sore just looking at it. It was a large Parthenon made completely out of solid Imperial Gold and was shining like the afternoon sun. It was quite majestic, but it was far too bright for her tastes.

"Fine, fine, just let go of my ear!"

The Goddess of the Moon relented and pushed the hyperactive Sun God away, crossing her arms and stared at him sternly. She looked over at Athena and nodded at her, silently saying that she could begin her questioning.

"Apollo, please tell us where Aphrodite is."

Apollo raised an eyebrow and nursed his bruised ear. "Wow, so you really came looking for her," he muttered before he chuckled. "Sometimes that woman is even more clear-sighted than I am."

Athena crossed her arms, "What do you mean?"

"Dite came to see me a few days ago and told me to not tell anyone where she is, especially if it is you, Athena." The two goddesses were surprised and looked at each other confused. "She made me swear on the River Stix that I will not tell on her, so sorry, I can't help you."

Artemis scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, "What the hell did she do to make you swear on the River Stix?"

Apollo grinned and winked at his sisters, "She is going to make sure that _all_ of my children will lead very nice sex lives!" He laughed and mentally patted his back, "They're all good looking children, but now they will all be happy and will have plenty of lovin!" He made a peace sign and winked again, "Just like their daddy!"

"Disgusting," muttered Artemis as she shook her head.

"Hey, they're your nephews and nieces!"

The Moon Goddess glared at him, "Your children annoy the hell out of me! Don't think for a second that I've forgotten that one of your stupid sons jumped into my chariot in the middle of the night with that weird friend of his!"

Apollo looked scandalized, "Oh, come on! Neil Armstrong was one of my best sons and he still is an international hero! And Buzz Aldrin is a cool dude!"

Artemis scoffed, "He was a demigod that should have seen through the Mist, but he still joked around with that stupid human space program and landed that damn Space Module in my chariot! If he wasn't my nephew I would have shot him out of the sky and sent him to Tartarus!"

"It's not my children's fault that your chariot is so mellow; you don't see them trying to walk on my chariot!" The Sun God glared at his little sister and glowed, "And it's not some stupid human space program, it's called the Apollo Program!"

"Mother is right; you need to find a wife to knock your ego down a peg!"

"Don't bring Mom into this!"

_'This is going to take a while…'_ thought Athena as she rubbed her temples.

* * *

"So where are we going now?"

Aphrodite smiled at Naruto and kissed him on the cheek. "Nowhere special, I just want to spend a normal day with you. Just do whatever you usually do and bring me along." She wrapped her arms around his as they got out of the car. "I just want to spend some quality time with you."

"I would love that."

Naruto walked into Grand Central Station and ignored everyone who was gawking at Aphrodite's beauty, but he did glare at some of the men who were leering at her. It had been quite a while since he had spent time with her and he had almost forgotten how much attention she would attract. He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her close, showing that she belonged to him.

Aphrodite giggled and leaned into Naruto, "Don't worry, you're the only man I love."

He smiled and kissed her softly on the lips, "I love you, too."

It was the best day ever!

* * *

**The End!**

**Will Athena find them soon? Will she be angry at Naruto for being so snuggly with Aphrodite? What about Hestia and Rhea, when will they show up? Will Naruto even survive with so many Goddesses near him?**

**So many questions, and I know all the answers! XD**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! AS USUAL, I UPDATE FASTER WITH MORE REVIEWS!**


	6. A Fresh Start

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 6**

* * *

Sally Jackson was stunned as soon as she walked into _Sweet on America_. Right in the middle of the store – between the chocolates and the wine gums – her boss was making out with perhaps the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. She was so gorgeous that Sally had a hard time believing that she was real, so much so that she had a hard time concentrating on her. It was as if her features would constantly change; the tone of her skin was a little tanned at first, but soon Sally noticed that it was actually a creamy white shade of perfect skin. It was the same with her hair; it looked dark brown at first, but after Sally blinked it turned into the most stunning of red tresses that flowed to her lower back. It was hard to believe that someone so stunning would actually exist.

"S-Sally!" exclaimed Naruto as he pulled away from the kiss, blushing at the fact that his employee walked in on him and Aphrodite, "G-Good morning."

Sally looked sheepish and turned away, "I'm sorry I interrupted you two."

Some melodic giggling pulled Sally's attention back to the couple, "It's alright, dear." The Goddess wrapped her arms around Naruto's and smiled, "We're sorry you had to see us like that; we'll get out of your way." She pulled Naruto to the office in the back as she gave Sally a friendly wave. "We'll be in the office if you need us!"

"B-But I should help set up."

Aphrodite pushed her lover into his office and lightly closed the door behind them. Naruto groaned as he sat down on his chair, shuddering at the thought of the awkwardness later in the shop. He was quite thankful that his other employees were coming in later and didn't see him such a compromising position. He had tried hard to establish a formal but friendly attitude for his employees, but that might be for naught.

"I should have remembered that you have employees coming," the Goddess muttered as she looked at her image through a mirror she magically summoned. "We're lucky we saw her so quickly; people usually see me as the perfect beauty of their interpretation, but now that I'm staying with you, I'm going to permanently take the form _you_ see as me." The mirror vanished as she sent him a wink, "Since I'm going to meet the people around you, it is best that I keep a constant appearance."

Naruto nodded, but was still blushing, "That's a good idea, but I wish that I could have remembered that I had people coming in earlier."

Aphrodite giggled and sat down on Naruto's lap, "Don't be embarrassed, that wasn't as bad as the time the waiter caught us at our booth."

"Don't even remind me of that," replied a red-faced Naruto as he wrapped his hands around the Goddess. "It took me a long time to forget about it; to this day I haven't returned to that restaurant."

She giggled again and kissed him softly, "Oh, come on; everyone in the restaurant was jealous of you."

Naruto chuckled and kissed her back, "I guess that's true."

"And it wasn't as if you didn't enjoy what I was doing to you~" Aphrodite nibbled on his lower lips as she stared into his eyes, "I remember that it was your loud moaning that alerted the waiter that night." She giggled as she felt something poke her between her legs, "I don't blame you, though."

Naruto stared hungrily at Aphrodite and his hands started to roam her body, "You're making it really hard for me to not take you right here on my desk."

"Ohh, that's kinky." The Goddess bit her lip as she leaned down closer to him, "Do you have some sort of fetish of fooling around in the office? Did you do it here with some other girl?"

Naruto closed his eyes and blissfully breathed in her scent as he kissed her neck. "I haven't been with anybody since you left…"

"What?"

He chuckled at her surprise and just continued to kiss and nibble at her sweet skin, "It's not that surprising; having two little girls doesn't exactly give me a lot of time for dating." He pulled back a little and stared into her widened violet eyes, "And I really loved you and still love you, so it was hard for me to find someone else." She bit her lips as a surge of guilt and sadness filled her, "Though I would be lying if there weren't some pretty ladies, but they're just not you."

The Goddess gently cupped his face and lovingly kissed him, "I'm so sorry…"

Naruto smiled and shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for; the important thing is that you're here now."

"I will never hurt you again," she whispered against his lips. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and I'm staying with you." She snuggled and rested against him, "We'll be together from now on and live as a family, the four of us."

"Sounds good…"

He pulled her down and kissed her tenderly on the lips, slipping his tongue into her warm and wet cavern. She tasted like honey and he was once again becoming addicted to her taste. He had nearly forgotten about how wonderful it felt to kiss Aphrodite, but with only one kiss all his desires and addictions rushed back. He wanted nothing more than to make sweet love with the woman he loved, and give her as much pleasure as he could give.

_'I love this man so much,'_ thought Aphrodite as she wrapped her arms around his head and added more pressure into the kiss. It was incredible; in all of her immortal life she had never felt so much affection for any person. It dwarfed whatever affection she had for Ares or Adonis; it was completely in a class of his own. For the Goddess of Love who had been in love countless times before, it was truly something special. _'This is the real thing; he's my true love.'_

Naruto slowly reached into her blazer and started to slip his hand under her silk shirt. Her skin felt just as smooth and creamy as it did all those years ago and it made his desire amplify ten folds. He wanted to have her under him again, moaning his name in ecstasy. He wanted to feel her warmth, her wetness, and her love. He wanted to take her again and again until he made her fall in love with him even more.

But all his plans were obliterated when someone knocked on his office door.

"Who is it?!" cried Aphrodite as she turned to the door with an intense glare, resisting the urge to blast the person to Hades.

"Umm," It was Sally, "I'm sorry for interrupting again, but everyone is here and we need Mr. Namikaze to come start the registers and give us the plan of the day."

Naruto was disappointed, but smiled at the adorable angered look on the Goddess' face. "I know, Sally; I'll be out in a second." Waiting until the footsteps were gone, he turned to the woman on his lap. "It's okay, beautiful, we have the whole night tonight."

Aphrodite smiled saucily and kissed him tenderly, "You better be ready for it~"

"I've been ready for years."

* * *

**Olympus – Athena's Temple**

After an hour long argument between Artemis and Apollo, Athena finally managed to drag that Goddess of the Hunt back to her temple. She had to wonder if her arguments with Poseidon were as annoying and stressful as the twins'. The Goddess of Wisdom couldn't believe the massive headache she got just from listening to the siblings argue about who their mother loved more. It was nearly as bad as when Zeus and Poseidon would argue over Mother Rhea.

"That damn arrogant moron!" Artemis was still angry as she stomped into Athena's Temple. "I can't believe he thinks his sons better than my hunters!" Athena sighed and rubbed her temples as her sister rambled on, "Zoe alone can defeat all his sons!"

"Can be please get back to our original objective?"

Artemis groaned, "Honestly, who knows where that lovesick Goddess is!"

"Well, it's not that hard to guess," she muttered as she sat down in one of her many chairs. "For Aphrodite to extend such a favor to our brother means that she really doesn't want anyone to find her, and there is only one reason that could possibly make act so careful."

"You mean…"

Athena nodded with a sigh, "Yes, I think she went to find Naruto."

"She is going to get into so much trouble," Artemis mumbled. "At least you only stayed there for a few minutes, but from what we've gathered, she's been there for at least eight hours." The Goddess of the Moon sighed as she looked down at her sitting sister, "And I don't think she's going to come back soon."

"That stupid woman," grumbled Athena angrily. "If Ares or Hephaestus find out she's so close to Naruto they are going to kill him."

"You're right; they will definitely do something like that."

"I'm going to go find her," Athena stood and started to glow. "Are you coming with me?"

Artemis sighed and nodded, "Yes, at this point I'm a little committed." She stepped closer to her sister and crossed her arms, "Though I need to go back to the camp for a little while and ask Zoe to drive the chariot for me tonight. Do you mind coming with me first?"

"Of course not, let's go."

* * *

"Here, try this one," chirped Aphrodite as she happily fed Naruto a small strawberry truffle.

Ignoring the slightly awkward glances from Sally and his other employees, Naruto smiled and gladly accepted the treat. For the past few hours Aphrodite had been looking over the selections Naruto had in his store and provided him with a list of items he should omit. There were many products in the store that she said was an insult to sweets, and Naruto knew perfectly that no one knew more about candy than the Goddess of Love. Though there were many she adored and she was busy with feeding them to Naruto – sometimes from mouth to mouth.

"Delicious~"

The Goddess giggled and turned her attention back to the laptop, typing in all the candies she wanted to order from various places on earth, mostly from France. Every one of Naruto's employees were surprised at the amount of knowledge their boss' girlfriend had on sweets; ever since she opened the laptop she had been typing names after names of candies along with their various ingredients and their manufacturing process.

Naruto smiled at her enthusiasm and pecked her on the cheek, "Thanks for helping out."

"No problem at all."

Looking at the clock, Naruto smiled and clapped his hands. "Okay, it's time to close up!" Sally and the others smiled and nodded, "Thanks for the great day guys!" The boss stretched his arms and grinned, "Remember to come meet us tomorrow, Sally!"

Sally smiled back and nodded, "Of course, Percy is very excited about it."

"OH!" exclaimed Aphrodite excitedly as she turned to Sally, making her a little nervous. "You're Percy's mother?"

"Yes…"

"Tell me: do you think your son has a crush on Annabeth?"

"Dite!" cried Naruto, horrified at the prospect of his baby girl liking a boy.

Sally giggled and shrugged, "I actually asked him that a few days ago and he blushed and yelled at me, so I definitely think he does!"

"Boys, huh?" Aphrodite giggled and clapped her hands together, "Getting angry whenever they try to deny something."

"Nobody has crushes on anybody!" Naruto waved his hands around and shook his head, "My baby girl does not like any boys!"

The Goddess merely pointed at Naruto with a smirk, "See?"

Ignoring Sally's laugh, Naruto grabbed his girlfriend's hand and led her out the store. With a quick goodbye and a reminder to lock the door to his employees, he left the store and headed towards his car, all the while trying to rid the disturbing thought of one of his princess dating some boy. They will always be his little babies and will never like any boys! No, just no!

Aphrodite giggled at Naruto's reaction and hugged his arm close; he was just too cute. She loved teasing him about Annabeth liking that Percy boy; the way his eyes would widened and his body would shiver was just too funny. It was very sweet of him, but he would have to face the facts sooner or later, and she would be there to see it – and laugh about it. In fact, she had already planned out of daughters' love lives; she would make sure that they would both be very happy. All she needed was to meet Percy so she would plan his life together with Annabeth's.

"For my birthday present, maybe you could make it so that Annabeth and Lacy will never like any boys?"

The Goddess grinned and shook her head, "Never, those girls are beautiful and deserve the best love lives." Naruto paled at the thought of his girls spending nights with boy and shook his head viciously, making her giggle. "Don't worry, daddy, both girls will have a very happy marriage and a great family." She smiled up at her lover, "I promise."

"I guess that's better than nothing…"

"Come on you big baby, let's continue our day." Aphrodite let go of his hand and got into the passenger seat of the car before she grabbed his hand again. "Where are we heading next?"

"We'll go pick up the girls and go to the supermarket to get something for dinner."

"Sounds fun!"

* * *

In the past week, Hestia had been enjoying her job as a teacher. She had always adored the children of her siblings and would treat them as her own, but even including them Lacy was quickly becoming her favorite. The little girl was adorable, even more so compared to the other children of Aphrodite she had met before. Hestia could see so much of the Goddess of Love in the little girl, most prominently in Lacy's bubbly personality and charming smile. The way her eyes would light up at the sight of a fresh batch of cookies just melted Hestia's heart.

"Thank you, Ms. Hess!" exclaimed Lacy as she quickly grabbed three cookies from the tray. "I love you!"

Hestia giggled before she began to attend the other children, "I love you too, sweetie."

Hestia had made a tradition out of handing out fresh baked cookies at the end of the school day, and the children had never been more excited about anything. The parents were all happy at how happy their children would be when they pick them up and was perfectly fine with the cookies – they were mostly oatmeal and were healthy.

From the corner of her eyes, Hestia watched as little Lacy stand beside her sister, both seemingly waiting for their dad. The Goddess of the Hearth almost squealed in delight when she saw Lacy split half of her last cookie and gave it to Annabeth. It was endearing to see such love between two demigods with different godly parents; the Olympian siblings had never been very close – except for Hestia, who was loved by everyone – so seeing such a scene was heartwarming.

Then a familiar car drove into the parking lot.

"Daddy!" cried Lacy as she jumped into her dad's arms. "I'm hungry, can we get some ramen?!"

"No, I want sweet potato mash and ribs!" Annabeth held onto her dad's hand and looked up at him, "Or baked potatoes and roast beef, that's good too."

Naruto playfully rolled his eyes and kissed both his babies' forehead, "We'll decide when we get to the supermarket."

Hestia smiled when they looked over at her direction and she waved over at them, smiling at their wonderful family. In the domain she shared with her little sister Hera, Hestia would often feel delighted at the sight of happy families, and Naruto's certainly was one of her favorites. But then she caught sight of something, something inside their car.

_'Is that…'_

Whatever she saw disappeared as soon as she laid eyes on it, but she distinctively felt a very familiar aura of power.

_'Don't tell me she actually came down here?'_

* * *

_'That was far too close!'_

Aphrodite sighed in relief as she appeared back inside Naruto's home, holding her hand to her chest as her breathing leveled out. She had forgotten that she and Athena had asked Hestia to look after their daughters. She had no idea the Goddess of the Hearth would actually pose as Lacy's teacher, but she had to admit that it was very smart. It was very dangerous; Hestia had almost seen her and if she didn't teleport that instant, she might have been sent back to Olympus.

_'I better not teleport back to the car yet; Hestia might be looking for me.'_

Seeing how she had time before Naruto and the girls would come home, she decided to explore her new home, or the most important part of her new home: the master bedroom. Now that she only had one lover, she planned to have an amazing sex life with him. Even several years ago, Naruto was an incredible lover. His stamina, strength and overall huskiness made her loin burn and knee quiver. She had missed making love him with over the years and couldn't wait to spend the night with him.

Especially after she took Hera's sacred bath…

Just thinking about it made her giddy, and she skipped all the way to the bedroom. It was exhilarating. Hera was absolutely right; a wife preparing a wonderful night for her husband felt very sexy. Just the thought of Naruto as her husband made her heart flutter; she had decided to not use the more powerful of her love magic on Naruto, but she still had her bag of tricks. Naruto's world will flip upside down in the morning!

With a snap of Aphrodite's fingers, the room was filled with a subtle scent of her personal brand of aphrodisiac, one that will make Naruto lust for her even more than before. Then with a flick of her wrist, the simple white curtains morphed into a luscious sheet of deep purple silk, the white walls turned an elegant shade of purple, and the hardwood floor turned into rich and fluffy black carpet. Then the most important part: the bed. The simple queen-sized bed changed into a magnificent king-sized bed, with a seven feet tall black leather headboard with intricate silk designs, a wide black wooden frame with a lighted edge, a perfect mattress made out of the softest celestial cotton and wool, and the most beautiful purple and black bedspread with knitted patterns worthy of Athena. With one last wink to the lights, it dimmed to a soft fluorescent glow.

"Perfect!" With a pretty smile, she turned to the final object in her way. "Now, what to do with all these books…"

But her smile soon faded when she saw all the books on Greek Mythology. She shouldn't be surprised that Naruto decided to read up on their tales after having children with two Greek Goddesses, but she wasn't too excited about it. Her actions in the past hadn't exactly made her an angel in the eyes of mortals. She was exactly ashamed of her past lovers, but she wanted Naruto to know that she was only with him now and those other men were out of the picture. She had to assure him that her relationship with him was nothing like her _marriage_ to Hephaestus; she truly loved him and would truly marry him.

"DADDY, LET'S HURRY AND EAT!"

Shaking her head of her troubled thoughts, Aphrodite snapped her fingers and made the three bookshelves vanish before she teleported down to the main floor. The scene that greeted her made her feel better instantly. Naruto was walking into the kitchen holding a bag of groceries, then Annabeth followed after him with another bad in her arms, and Lacy just skipped after them with a lollipop in her mouth.

"Calm down, princess; dinner will be ready soon."

Naruto's eyes met with the Goddess of Love's and relief quickly rushed through him, making her smile. She walked up to him and gently kissed his cheek, making him smile silently and continue to put the groceries away.

"I'm sorry I suddenly vanished like that," she began, "I thought someone was messing with my domain somewhere in Spain, so I had to quickly check."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "So, are you girls okay with having just spaghetti and meatballs?"

Aphrodite smiled at Naruto who was looking at her as he spoke and nodded. "That sounds delicious." The Goddess used her illusionary powers to hide her plate and food from the girls so she could eat at the same table as them, her first family dinner ever. "I love everything you cook, _honey._"

Oh, she had waited a long time to call someone that.

Naruto winked at her, "Thank you, honey," he whispered softly.

* * *

**Artemis' Hunter Camp**

"Yes, milady, I will prepare for the flight immediately."

Artemis smiled and nodded at her lieutenant and closest friend. While Athena may have her brain children, her hunters were like her own flesh and blood. Her older hunters – Zoe and Phoebe – may be more like sisters, but all the others were like her daughters. In a way, Artemis would sometimes think, she had also found a way to keep her chastity and feel like a mother.

Athena smiled and nodded at the huntress as well, "Thank you, Zoe."

"It is of no inconvenience, Lady Athena, I am glad to help."

As Zoe went to prepare the Moon Chariot, Artemis turned to Athena with a smile. "Are you hungry, sister? Maybe we should join my hunters for dinner before we head for New York."

The Goddess of Wisdom smiled and nodded, "I would like that; it's been a long while since we've had dinner in your camp."

Artemis smiled and led Athena to the camp by the hand, "My hunters may not be as skilled as Aunt Hestia at cooking, but I'm sure you'll like it."

* * *

"Good night, princess," whispered the blond as he kissed his baby girl's head. "I love you."

After finally convincing Annabeth to stop reading her new book and go to bed, Naruto began to tuck Lacy in. The little girl was already tired from her day at school and was semi-asleep when he carried her to her room. As mature as she was with love and her sister's crush on Percy – traits she inherited from her mother – she was still a little girl and definitely acted like one to her daddy.

Now, onto his most anticipated part of the day: spending the night with Aphrodite.

All throughout dinner, Naruto's mind had been wondering about the night. He could still vividly remember the last time he made love to the Goddess of Love and it would still exhilarate him every time he thought about it. He just wished his prowess in bed didn't diminish over the years and he could still satisfy her. She wasn't like his girlfriend like before; she was going to stay with him, more like a wife. That took the pressure to a whole new level.

"Don't be nervous~" whispered a beautiful voice to his ear as a pair of slender and soft arms wrapped around his waist from behind as he walked into his room. "Just let your feelings guide you and make love to me, just like you had so many times before."

Naruto turned to face her and pulled her closer, "I plan to."

Aphrodite closed the door behind and locked it securely; she snapped her fingers to make her current clothes vanish. Her jeans were replaced with a tiny thong and her silk shirt changed into a lacy red ribbon tied together quite precariously. She stepped up to a stunned Naruto and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her large breasts against his chest as she did so.

"You're just…perfect."

Aphrodite smiled and leaned up to kiss him lightly on his lips. "Thank you, Naruto; you're really good to me." She massaged the back of his neck and bit her lips, "I love you. I really mean it. I…I know that my reputation has suffered throughout the centuries and I might not appear as someone who could be faithful to just one man."

"Hey, what are you saying?" Naruto whispered gently, "I fully believ-"

The Goddess cut him off with a kiss, "Please, let me finish." Naruto reluctantly nodded. "Most of the stories written about me in mortal myths and legends are true; I am temperamental, flirtatious and seductive, but it is a little different now. I will only be temperamental with you, most likely when we disagree over what clothes to buy for our little girls. I will only be flirtatious with you, probably when we're in public because I love how you react to it." Aphrodite smiled as Naruto pulled her closer. "And I assure you, I will seduce you _every single night_ from now on, and only you, my love." She had tears welling in her eyes as she felt her emotions bubble to the surface, "I have decided to leave everything behind and have a fresh start; this is completely new to me. I intend to find out everything about being family and a loving mother with you." Aphrodite kissed him again and smiled against his lips, "And with Annabeth and Lacy and with our future children."

Naruto ran his fingers through her luscious hair and kissed her tenderly on the forehead, "I love you, Aphrodite; you really don't have to say anything. I fully trust you."

"I know, but I needed to say it for myself." She guided Naruto's hand to the red ribbon and helped him pull it down, allowing the small article of clothing to drop to the ground to reveal her perfect breasts. "This is literally a fresh start for me." She smiled brightly and looked up into Naruto's eyes, "I went to Hera and used her sacred bath; I used it to completely purify my body and to regain my virginity." Naruto's eyes widened as he felt an unprecedented surge of emotions rush through him. "I've never done this before, but I believe that you are truly the only one for me and I wanted to do this for our relationship."

"I-I don't know what to say…" he whispered as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"You don't have to say anything," she pushed him down onto the bed and straddled his waist. "Just make love to me; take my maidenhood and make me yours." She kissed him as softly as she could and spoke against his lip, "Forever."

Naruto knew that no words could possibly convey his emotions to his lover at that moment, and the only way to do so was to use his actions. He kissed her with as much love as he possibly could and spoke inside his mind…

_'I don't deserve this, but I'll give her something she deserves or die trying.'_

* * *

**5th Avenue, New York City – Mother Rhea's Home**

"Mother, why are we suddenly moving?"

Hestia came home to see all hers and her mother's possession packed into Rhea's small magic suitcase and their apartment was completely empty. Her mother had a smile on her face and held a house-deed in her hands, looking amused beyond words.

"I bought us a house closer to your workplace," she said with a smile. "It's right next to your new favorite nieces and Athena and Aphrodite's love."

Hestia was shocked before she shook her head with a sigh, "Why?"

"Why not?" Rhea chirped as she placed her hands on her hips, "Do you have any idea how boring it is to just sit at home all day watching the world go by? This little mortal man's relationship with little Athena and Aphrodite is the only interesting thing going on right now and I'm going to enjoy it." She stood up and held her daughter's hand with glee, "Most of my soap operas are becoming repetitive and no matter how much I complain to Apollo, they are not getting any better. Let's hope this little situation entertains me better than television."

"Mother, this is not a soap opera!"

Oh really? If you could sense the other goddesses the way I do, you would not think that." Rhea giggled as she pulled her favorite child along. "Aphrodite has been at that mortal's home since yesterday and Athena is about to come visit them in the morning; this has entertainment written all over it!"

Hestia groaned and shook her head, "This is not going to be pretty…"

"No, not at all!"

* * *

**Artemis' Hunter Camp**

As she enjoyed a nice long dinner with her sister and her hunters, she couldn't help but feel a shiver go down her spine, as if something terrible had happened. She shrugged it off for the copious amount of ambrosias and nectar she shared with Artemis. She was starting to have a headache, and decided to take Artemis' offer of using one of her tents for the night. She didn't want to visit Naruto so late during the night; the girls should be all asleep and she didn't want to possibly rouse them by pulling an annoyed Aphrodite back to Olympus. The last thing Athena needed was for her daughter to find out about their world in such an undignified way. She needed to be patient and careful.

_'What's the worst that could happen if I wait until morning?'_

* * *

**The End!**

**That was a fast update! Thank you for all the lovely reviews; I am very happy about them! XD **

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**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD **


	7. Strange Morning

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 7**

* * *

There had never been a better morning; in the millennia that she had lived, never had there been a morning so perfect, so comfortable, and so right. She woke as if she was a cloud floating weightlessly in the blue sky. Hovering above the troubles of the world, completely separated from the rest of existence, she floated in bliss. It was as if all her cares and troubles had vanished and only her happiness remained. After centuries, millennia, ages, eons, she had finally found peace. And she would have never thought that her true peace would come in the form of one mortal man.

_'Naruto…'_ she spoke inwardly as a blissful smile graced her beautiful face. _'Oh, my wonderful Naruto~'_

She knew her lover had his arms wrapped around her waist and she was resting her head against the crook of his neck. She knew that their legs were tangled together and their chests were attached firmly, and it all felt perfect and natural. It was as if she had been completed; like two pieces of a puzzle, they were perfectly aligned and attached. It was where she belonged; it was her home; it was the once place that made her feel at peace and happy: with him.

"Dite…" he softly whispered as his lips brushed against her forehead.

She smiled at the voice and the fact that he was still asleep. It appeared that exactly like her, he was still dreaming of their night together after so long. The mere thought of it made her smile; it was the best night of her life. It was perfect; never had she felt so loved or cherished. He noticed every twitch of her body, every expression of her face; it was as if he could dwell into her mind and pleasure her in ways she never thought possible. She was happy; her husband was perfect in the bedroom.

She could fell his body against hers at that very moment and she loved it. It was a wonder on its own that a simple candy store owner would have such a perfect body; Adonis couldn't have compared. Her love for him may have improved her vision of how he looked like, but that didn't matter, her lover, husband, destined one was perfect.

"Good morning…"

Aphrodite slowly parted her eyes as her perpetual smile grew to match the one on Naruto's face. His arms were tightened around her as he pulled her closer, rubbing her body against his as he did so. His warmth enveloped her and she snuggled more into him, determined to be as close to him as possible.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

"Like a mortal in Elysium." She kissed him softly on the neck and breathed in his scent. "You make an amazing pillow."

He chuckled and ran his hand gently across her flawless skin, "A role I live for." He sighed in bliss and hugged her tighter against him, "You are just so soft and warm; just hugging you like this makes me want to sleep in."

"Can we?" she whispered softly with her eyes close, letting the warmth and bliss take over. "Let's just sleep the day away."

"It's Halloween tomorrow," he replied with a small smile. "The girls will be up early and would want to make cookies and carve pumpkins."

Aphrodite smiled at the thought and snuggled closer into him again, "That would be fun too."

"How about we go take a shower then wake the girls?"

She giggled as she pulled away a little to look at him, "_Just_ take a shower, or are you thinking of something else."

"I'll have you know that I'm very good a multi-tasking."

She laughed as she kissed him tenderly on the lips, nibbling on them as she pulled away. "Alright, good; but I am a little sore from last night so you will have to carry me to the shower."

He smiled back and winked, "Your wish is my command."

As soon as the couple stepped into the master-bathroom, Aphrodite snapped her fingers, and the room morphed before their eyes. Naruto watched in fascination as the white tiles he had gotten used to over the years completely changed into elegant black marble, the white walls change to the same shade of purple as the bedroom, and the small bathtub expand into a massive black hot-tub. A new steam shower stood in place of his old one and, along with the new black porcelain sink, was traced with golden rims. All in all, it was very nice; Naruto chuckled at the amazing change and marveled at the sight – he had always wanted a woman's touch in his home.

With a swipe of her hand, the hot-tub was filled will water with the jets on full blast. "There we go, perfect."

Naruto chuckled as he held his lover in his arms and carried her over to the water, "I'm going to get so lazy if you keep doing this stuff."

Aphrodite just smiled and kissed him playfully on the chest as they both sat down into the water, both sighing in relaxation at the hot water rushing against their skin. Naruto pulled Aphrodite onto his lap and held her close, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Now, do you want to do this with or without soap?"

* * *

Hestia had to admit, their new home wasn't too bad. It wasn't as luxurious as their old home on 5th Avenue, but she had never really been a Goddess to care about such things. Unlike their gigantic apartment, their new house had a nice fireplace with a wide chimney, one where she could form a very nice fire and make some delicious s'mores – Artemis and Persephone would love it. She could already see some nice family dinners in the near future, but seeing that Naruto lived right next door, inviting Ares or Hephaestus might not be a good idea.

"Tia, come here for a minute."

The Goddess of the Hearth looked away from the nice fireplace and walked back into the kitchen to meet with her mother, who was dressed very much like a normal mortal woman. With a pair of tight blue jeans, form-fitting tank-top under a black blazer, the Mother of the Gods looked no less elegant and graceful than usual.

Rhea smiled as she fiddled with her new kitchen appliances – she bought a completely new set of equipment personally designed by her grandson, Hephaestus. "What do you want for breakfast, dear?"

"Anything is fine."

"I would pick something good," replied Rhea with a bright smile. "I conjured up some chairs on the balcony in the master-bedroom; we could have our breakfasts there." The Titaness snapped her fingers as twin plates filled with eggs, sausages, bacon and toast appeared in front of her. "If my timing is correct, the show should be starting soon."

Hestia gave her mother a stern look, "Mother, this is a matter of family, not some soap opera on televisions."

"You're right, this is way better than the garbage on TV."

* * *

"You are just gorgeous."

With a smile, Naruto pulled the freshly dressed Goddess into his arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips, nibbling at her lower lip as he pulled away. She was perfect; she was beautiful without trying, elegant without effort. With just a simple pair of tight grey jeans and a red t-shirt, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. Her long red hair was tied into a simple ponytail, and it made Naruto's heart flutter – he had always loved ponytails.

Aphrodite combed her fingers through Naruto's soft and spiky hair with a smile, "You're quite handsome yourself." Lacing her fingers with Naruto's, the Goddess led them out of the bathroom. "No wonder so many women around you have feelings for you."

"Yeah," muttered Naruto with a sigh, "Those single moms at the girls' school are quite forward sometimes."

The Goddess giggled and shook her head, "I'm not talking about them, silly, I'm talking about Percy's mother, Sally."

Naruto almost tripped on the new carpet at her words, "What?!"

"You're still as dense as ever when it comes to these things," said Aphrodite with a smirk; she could still remember when she first met Naruto and all the hints he missed from her. "Yes, I can feel that Sally has somewhat of a crush on you; it was quite obvious, really. When she saw us kissing yesterday, I could clearly feel jealousy, even though she hid it very well."

Naruto closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head, "Well what should I do?"

"Just let it be; she knows that you're with me now and should give up soon." Aphrodite needed no reassurance; she knew perfectly that she was the most beautiful in the world and had no competition from any mortal woman. "Besides, she might be your future in-law, so you want to keep a friendly relationship with her."

"Don't even joke about that!"

Aphrodite laughed at his horrified expression and pulled him down stairs. "Come on, I'm a little hungry and I want you to make me some breakfast." She smiled back at him and winked, "We still have to think of some way to introduce me to the girls."

"Right…" mumbled Naruto as he scratched his head; he may be good at thinking up strategies for many things, but introducing a woman to his daughters would be much harder. "We better start thinking about something; Annabeth is far too smart for some lame excuse." He smiled at his lover, "We'll tell them who you really are sooner or later, but we should think of a nice cover story for now."

"How about," the Goddess started as she sat down at the dinner table, "We say that I'm your high school sweetheart and we started up again after all these years?"

"Hmm, that sounds pretty good."

"We can have a lot of fun with this!" Aphrodite giggled and winked at Naruto. "We can be a really cute couple, who met in high school and were really in love, but my parents don't approve of you and we end up splitting up." Naruto chuckled at the excited look on the Goddess' face. "We went to different universities in different cities, but we still have feelings for each other and when he met again a few weeks ago we ended up getting together again."

"That's the plot of hundreds of movies I've seen on television."

Aphrodite smiled proudly, "I was the first one to give Apollo's sons such good ideas to make into movies."

Naruto smiled and placed a cup of coffee in front of his lover, "Okay, so we're high school sweethearts and sometime during after we split, we get together and make a child together."

"Yep, and they both resemble you more and inherited your blonde hair."

Naruto leaned against the table with his mind wandering the possibilities…

_Ding Dong!_

The doorbell knocked Naruto out of his thoughts and made him turn to the door; it was still quite early in the morning and nobody should be visiting them. Aphrodite followed after her lover, wondering if it was one of those people she had heard about from Hermes – the people who like to knock on doors and advertise about some god named Jehovah. She sure hadn't met a god with such a name.

"Hello?"

As Naruto's eyes widened, Aphrodite's smile vanished.

"A-Athena?" the last thing Naruto expected in the morning was for Athena and some other lady to ring his doorbell.

Aphrodite bit her lips and gave the other two goddesses a smile, "Hey, what's up Athena, Artemis?"

Naruto's eyes widened again and resisted the urge to jump away; after reading so much on Greek Mythology, he knew perfect who Artemis was. Seeing how he was a man and was a father of two demigod children with separate goddesses, he was expecting the Goddess of the Hunt to strike him down. Thankfully, Athena and Aphrodite were present, so he was probably safe.

The Goddess of Wisdom seemed to avoid Naruto's eyes and focused on Aphrodite, "We need to leave," spoke Athena stoically as she grabbed Aphrodite's arm and started to pull her away.

"A-Athena, wait!" cried Naruto as he watched Aphrodite being pulled out of his home.

"What in Hades are you doing?!" cried the Goddess of Love as she resisted, flaring her power as she did so. "Let go of me you stupid owl!"

"Don't argue with us, Aphrodite." Artemis scowled at her eternal opposite and sighed, "You've already spent enough time here, and you have to return to Olympus before you get into serious trouble."

Athena nodded along, "We have interrupted with his life enough."

An unsurmountable anger filled Aphrodite; how dare they mock her love for Naruto! "I'm not going back!" Aphrodite glared at both Goddesses and tuned her Charmspeak, "Let go of me right now!" Without another word, Athena released Aphrodite. "What I do here is none of your business, so leave me alone!"

Naruto, who was still shocked at the scene, finally broke out of his stupor and ran up to the goddesses. He quickly grabbed Aphrodite's hand and pulled her back a little. "Dite, what trouble are they talking about? I know about the rules, but what will happen to you?"

"Nothing!" She glared at Athena and Artemis as her power grew, "What I do in my domain is my business, and no god can tell me what to do. I've finally found true love after so many years, and I'm not going to give it up just because of some rules!" Aphrodite pointed at the other two goddesses and stepped forward, "I am warning you now! If any of you try to get in my way, I will curse you for all eternity!"

Athena and Artemis were shocked at how angry Aphrodite was; they had never seen her like that before.

"I will curse all your descendants; aside from Annabeth, all your children will suffer the worst fates with love and all of them will kill themselves afterwards!" Her power flared again as the ground started to shake, "And I will curse all your hunters, Artemis; all of them will be forced to fall in love with the worst men in existence and all of them will abandon your order!"

"Dite, calm down!" Naruto hugged her from behind and pulled her back a little, "Please, this will not help the situation."

Artemis growled at the Love Goddess and summoned her bow and quiver, "Don't you dare threaten my hunters!"

"Oh, I dare!" Aphrodite's power was growing rapidly and was slowly exceeding that of Artemis', "I will even curse _you; _even you will be forced to fall in love!" Artemis would never admit it, but she felt a hint of fear as she stood in front of the raging Goddess of Love. She had almost forgotten that Aphrodite was one of the eldest Olympians and was a daughter of Ouranos, the Primordial of the Sky, and was extremely powerful. "If you dare harm take me away from my love, I will curse you to fall in love with Apollo!"

Athena stepped forward, "This is going too far, Aphrodite!"

Naruto was straining to stand on his feet because of the power emitted by his lover, "Dite, stop this!"

"No!" Aphrodite looked back at Naruto with pained eyes, "I will not lose you again." Naruto's and Athena's eyes widened at her words. "I love you, Naruto, I really do. I meant everything that I said last night, and I will not allow anyone to interfere with our lives!"

"_You_ are the one putting Naruto in danger!" Athena stepped forward, adding to the pressure, making the streets shake. "Ares will come and kill Naruto himself if you keep doing this!"

"I will never let that happen!" Aphrodite stomped her foot and stepped forward, "I will personally castrate him if he dares come close to Naruto!" Athena was once again shocked at her viciousness and conviction. "Love and hate is only a flipside, Athena, and I swear of the River Stix that I will personally send Ares or any other person who tries to harm my love to Tartarus!"

Thunder boomed in the sky, marking the acceptance of the sworn oath.

Athena's eyes started to glow as she suddenly summoned her golden spear. "I will drag you back to Olympus myself if you don't stop this madness." A golden helmet formed on her head and she glared at Aphrodite. "You very presence here threatens the safety of Naruto and my daughter, and I will never allow that!"

Artemis' eyes widened at the sight of the potential battle between Love and War.

Naruto jumped into the middle and stood between his two loves. "Please stop this!" Both Goddesses' eyes softened at his plea, but still stood strong.

"Move out of the way, Naruto!" Athena stared at the man she loved and frowned, "No matter how this may seem at the moment, this is for the best."

"Get over yourself, Athena." Aphrodite's red hair flared and stood upright in the air. "The only reason you're mad at me is because I've done what you couldn't!" Athena's form started to flicker, making Artemis wonder if she should jump in and stop the fight. "I know you love Naruto just like I do, but you don't have the courage to act upon it. No matter how confident and wise you are, the notion of love frightens you to no end and no matter how much you want to do exactly what I am doing right now, you can't."

Naruto couldn't help but look over at Athena, his first love, wondering what she was thinking despite her stoic expression.

"You spent your entire immortal life trying to convince yourself that you would never fall for any man, and now that you've fallen for one you're terrified at what would happen. You'd rather hide and run away from love, trying desperately to convince yourself with as many excuses as you could think of that this is only a phase and you would get over it." Aphrodite stepped forward as Athena's façade started to break. "It's pathetic! I will never run away from something like this and I would rather fade than let it just pass me by!" She walked up to Naruto and tugged him over to her side, "I know for a fact that this is something special and unique and I'm going to cherish it."

"Dite…" Naruto had no idea how to react; as much as he loved Athena, he had to admit that what he felt for Aphrodite was stronger at the moment.

"Feel free to run back to Olympus and hide in your temple, but I'm going to stay here!"

Athena had her eyes closed as her spear vanished, and her shoulders were slightly shaking; Naruto couldn't help but step closer to her. He gave Aphrodite a pleading look, making her sigh and let go of his arm. As the auras of power started to diminish, Naruto stood in front of Athena and placed his arms on her shoulder, trying to stop her from shaking.

"Athena…"

Slowly, Athena started to bite her lips and tears started to leak from her closed eyes, making her turn away from Naruto. He felt his heart ache at the sight and slowly brushed his thumbs across her cheek, drying her tears. Her eyes parted as she looked up at him, tears still flowing freely from her eyes. The softest sob finally broke free and she buried her face into his chest, making him wrap his arms around her.

Aphrodite's eyebrow twitched at the sight, "Naruto, she's fine, just let her go."

"Just let her have a moment!" Artemis cried as she glared at Aphrodite, "You are so insensitive sometimes!"

"Should you really be talking, you dumb deer hunter?!"

Naruto had never once thought that Athena would actually shed tears – she appeared far too powerful and dignified for such things – but he could feel her tears soak his shirt. Her usual confidence and godlike aura were replaced by an overwhelming amount of sentimentality. Naruto couldn't bear seeing his first love in such a state – he wanted to see that peculiar affectionate smile she would give him whenever he would make a joke, or even that angry glare that would petrify him; anything but seeing her cry. He delicately combed his fingers through her long black hair and held her closely.

"It's okay, Athena."

Athena held onto Naruto shirt with her eyes shut tightly, "I-I'm just so confused…" Aphrodite rose in eyebrow and continued to listen in as Artemis felt a little uncomfortable and out of place. "I've lived for a long time, but I've never once…felt so strongly about someone." Her shoulders were shaking as she tried to focus her thoughts, "I-I'm a Virgin Goddess, Naruto, and I'm not supposed to feel like this!"

Aphrodite crossed her arms and nodded to herself; she knew perfectly that she was correct in her assumption. Athena had never been in love her entire life and was absolutely petrified at the fact that she was falling for a man. Never had the Goddess of Wisdom had to face an obstacle greater than her intellectual powers, but such a powerful love wasn't something she would reason through. Aphrodite's domain was rather irrational, she'd know.

"You don't have to force yourself into anything," Naruto whispered with his brows furrowed. "You don't owe me anything, and no matter what you do with this, it won't change how I feel about you."

Athena lightly shook her head from within the warm embrace, "The problem is that I _want_ this. I want to do what Aphrodite has done and I want to know what it feels like to have a family." She bit her lips as her pride prevented her from voicing her remaining words, _'I want to know what it's like to have a husband, a lover.'_

"You do have a family," the blond said as he brushed some tears from her cheeks. "You are the mother of Annabeth; we are her father and mother; we are a family. Nothing will ever change that."

"But I've never even spoken to her…" Guilt and shame filled Athena as she held onto Naruto.

"Then why don't you just stay and meet her, like me?" Naruto and Artemis turned to look at Aphrodite in surprise, "I'm not saying that you should be staying here all the time, but what's stopping you from just coming here once a week to play with Annabeth? The ancient law prevents us from helping our children and stops us from interfering with their possible glory, but nothing stops us from just being a part of their lives; as long as we don't guide or lead them down a particular path and just let the make their own choices, there is nothing stopping us from being here." Aphrodite scoffed and shook her heads, "Most of us can figure this out, but many just don't care enough to actually take the time to visit the children." She sighed, "Lacy is the only child of mine that I care about at the moment, as horrible as it is for me to say that, it's true."

Artemis sighed and rubbed her temples, "Her logic is sound. Based on what I know of Apollo, he often visits his children at the camp inside his cabin, and Father often overlooks it." The Huntress' eyes linger on Naruto as he held Athena and narrowed, "Though if Father were to find out that you're in love with a man, I have no doubt that he'd blast him to ashes."

"Not if I can do something about it!" Aphrodite glared at the Huntress, "Even the King of Olympus will not stop me from taking love away!" The Goddess of Love flared her power a little, "Don't you dare tell your Father about this or I will follow through with my threat! I will watch the world fall apart without my domain!"

The Huntress glared back at the red haired Goddess, "I won't, and you can rest assured of that."

Athena gently pulled away, showing Naruto her slightly red eyes, "So, would you mind if I stop by on occasion to visit you and Annabeth?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Naruto with a bright smile, "I would love it!"

"Just as long as you don't stay in the bedroom," Aphrodite gave the Wisdom Goddess a stern stare, "I said you can visit Naruto and Annabeth, but you better not think that I'm willing to share him. Naruto is mine and you better stay a virgin!"

Naruto blushed as Athena seethed, "Mind your filthy words, you stupid pile of foam!"

"Bite me, _Minerva_!"

"Oh, I will kill you if you call me _that_ again!"

"Ohh, did I strike a nerve there?" Aphrodite sniggered with a hand delicately covering her lips, "You should really calm down about the whole roman deal; you're going to get wrinkles on your face."

Athena let go of Naruto entirely and stomped the ground, "How about I carve some wrinkles on your face with my spear?!"

"Oh please, you can't even put on lipstick without going out of the edge; you'll never be able to carve the right wrinkles."

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sight; Aphrodite was absolutely right when she said that Annabeth and Lacy acted exactly like her and Athena. Annabeth would stomp the ground and glare just like Athena did, and Lacy always had some clever quips up her sleeve to make her sister crazy. It was almost endearing to see the two Goddesses fight over words.

"Would the two of you shut up?!" demanded Artemis as her eyes glowed a silvery light.

"You shut up, you wild boar!"

"I'm going to shoot your eyes out!"

Naruto chuckled as the third goddess jump into the fight, but he was smart enough to not get in the middle of it.

"Daddy?"

Everything halted when the voice of a young girl pierced through all the arguments. Naruto felt a shock run down his spine as he slowly turned around to look at his front door. His mind was working a hundred miles an hour when he saw Lacy peeking through the door still wearing her little princess pajamas. She tilted her head to the side and scratched her loose blonde hair with confusion.

"Who are all these pretty ladies?"

"Ummm…"

"Dad!" cried Annabeth from behind Lacy. "Did you feel the house shake a few minutes ago?"

Naruto gulped when he saw Lacy turned to look inside the house, "Annie, come here!" Some dreaded footsteps were heard and soon Annabeth stood over her sister, also looking at her dad and the extremely beautiful ladies. "Do you know these people?"

Annabeth crossed her arms and focused her grey eyes at the group of women, "Dad, who are they?"

At the moment, his little girl's eyes looked more frightening than Athena's; even Athena had to say that her little daughter really inherited her ability to glare at people.

"They are my sisters," said a sudden voice from behind the whole group.

Lacy's eyes widened in joy and ran out of the door, "Ms. Hess!" The little girl ran passed everyone and jumped into the arms of her absolute favorite teacher of all time. "Why are you here?"

Hestia giggled at the girl and resisted the urge to laugh at the other Goddesses, "My mother, sisters and I just moved next door." She smiled at Naruto as she held Lacy close, "I'm sorry if my sisters were bothering you so early in the morning; they wanted to greet the neighbors and introduce themselves."

"I-It's no problem, I was awake already."

Hestia's warm red eyes appeared oddly frightening to Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite and they shivered when the eldest Olympian gave them all a sweet smile. "Mother is finished with breakfast, so you should all come home now, okay?"

"O-Okay," Athena muttered with a nod as she walked up to her aunt.

Artemis nodded along and stepped forward as well, "Yes, I love mom's cooking."

Aphrodite pouted, "Can I jus-"

"Now," firmly said Hestia.

"Okay…"

"Oh, Tia, it's no rush!" Hestia almost palmed her forehead when she heard her mother's voice. "Breakfast can wait; we should be polite and properly introduce ourselves to our neighbors." One of the most beautiful women Naruto had ever seen appeared next to his daughter's teacher; she was even comparable to Aphrodite. She was definitely not old enough to be their mother!

Athena's eyes widened as Artemis and Aphrodite made a weird choking noise, "M-Mother Rhea!"

"Oh, enough with calling me that, Arty, just be normal and call me mom." Rhea turned and smiled at Naruto, who blushed a little. "So, you're the father of the nice little girl my daughter is teaching?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well we'll also be neighbors from now on; we just moved in this morning!" Rhea smiled at her _daughters_ and giggled. "Maybe we could have a nice neighborly dinner sometime?"

Naruto smiled nervously and nodded, "That would be great."

"Now Tia, Thea, Arty and Dite, we should stop bothering this nice young man and his girls so early in the morning." The Mother of the Olympians smiled and gestured them to walk up to her, to which they all followed as strict orders. "Let us go home for now, you still have to pick your rooms and start unpacking."

Hestia sighed and shook her head, "Sure, let's go."

"Wait!" cried Lacy as Hestia placed her back on the ground. "Ms. Hess, do you want to come costume shopping with us later? It's Halloween tomorrow and we can go pick out cute costumes and make cookies and carve pumpkins!"

"Well…" Hestia was trying to think of the kindest way to decline the little girl's offer.

"Sure, that sounds really fun!" Rhea smiled as she knelt down to Lacy and pinched her little cheeks, "You don't mind if we all come, do you little princess?" Hestia's jaw dropped as Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite's eyes widened.

"Of course not; it's more fun with more people!" Lacy smiled at all the gorgeous ladies and pointed at Annabeth, "Annie's boyfriend is coming with us as well!"

Athena's eyes widened again as Annabeth blushed at the mention of Percy in front of so many strangers and glared at her sister, "He's not my boyfriend you little troll!" She was still a little dubious about so many people moving into the next house; she thought an old couple lived there. And it was very strange that the mother of all the pretty ladies looked far too young to have so many daughters. Then there was that one lady – Thea was what her mother called her – she gave her a very peculiar and warm feeling, like she had seen her somewhere before.

Lacy laughed at her sister before she tugged at her dad's pant-leg, "You don't mind, do you daddy?"

Naruto forced a smile and tried to not to shake from nervousness, "N-No, the more the merrier."

Rhea gave everyone a sweet smile, "Great, we'll see you all in a little while!"

Athena and Aphrodite each gave Naruto a nervous smile as they walked away, but his mind was far too overworked to function properly. Why the hell did the girls' teacher suddenly show up and how did she know Athena and Aphrodite?! These thoughts haunted his mind, even as Lacy and Annabeth pulled him back into the house he was in a daze.

Then it hit him like a brick.

_'Tia Hess…Hestia!' _He resisted the urge to palm his face and groaned, _'My Gods I'm such an idiot!'_

And just before Naruto closed his front door, he heard Aphrodite laughing very loudly.

_'What the hell is going to happen now?!'_

* * *

**The End!**

**This chapter was a little harder to write, so it took a little longer, but I hope you all enjoyed it! XD**

**The next chapter will be Naruto and his daughters going Trick-O-Treating with four Goddesses and one Titaness!**

**PS: There is no possibility that Naruto x Rhea or Naruto x Artemis will be in this story!**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! AS USUAL, I WILL UPDATE FASTER WITH MORE REVIEWS!**


	8. Love and War

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 8**

* * *

The silence was slightly unnerving. In the millennia that the Goddesses had known the Mother of the Gods, the Titaness of Motherhood and Beauty, she had never seemed so amused. Instead of her usual warm and comforting eyes, she was gazing upon them like they were enacting a puppet show and she was the puppeteer. Even Athena, who was no stranger to using manipulation, felt very uncomfortable as she sat beside her sister in the small dining room; she had no idea why her grandmother decided to involve herself in the situation or knew what she was thinking. Overall, it was quite intimidating.

"So," started Aphrodite as she cleared her throat. "This sure is an unexpected pleasure."

Artemis and Athena nodded along, with the latter with a slightly forced smile. "Indeed, but if I may ask, why did you come here, Grandmother?"

Rhea was sipping on her cup of chia tea and merely smiled kindly at the girls. "I felt inclined to be closer to family, so I decided to move here along with Tia. It's quite the convenient location seeing how little Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis would all visit the next house at the same time." Rhea gently placed her porcelain cup on its plate and winked at the Goddesses with a sly smile, "And just between us women, the owner next door is _so_ _very_ sexy."

Loud clatters could be heard as Athena, Aphrodite and Hestia simultaneously dropped their cups onto their plates, almost shattering them. Hestia stared at her mother in shock as her eyes widened considerably, utterly horrified at the idea of her mother pining over a mortal man; then Athena and Aphrodite, in a very rare moment, actually thought along the same lines – both wondering if Rhea would be competition.

"W-What in the name of Order, Mother?!" cried Hestia loudly.

Rhea couldn't hold in it anymore and burst out a laugh, her delicate features shaking as she brushed away tears from her eyes. "You should see all your faces!" All three Goddesses sighed in relief and calmed down, but Rhea's laughter was still strong. "Don't worry; I'm not interested in taking your little boyfriend."

Artemis sighed as she finished her tea, "If we're only going to be chatting about some _boy_, I think I'm just going to go back to my hunters."

"Oh no, you won't." Rhea gave her granddaughter a pointed look, "The two little girls saw you with us this morning, so you're coming with us later."

"But Grandmother?!"

"No buts!" Rhea crossed her arms and sternly stared at Artemis, "It's been a very long time since I've spent time with my little granddaughters and step-daughter, so we're all going to stay for the day and have a nice time." The Titaness smiled as Artemis relented and rested back on the seat, a tiny pout on her face. "None of you have to worry about the others seeing all of us here and become suspicious; I've taken care of that."

"How?" asked Athena, who had been worried that the combination their godly energies in one place might have attracted Olympus' attention.

"Zeus gives me my own circle of privacy, so as long as I allow it, I can completely shroud all of you within my personal domain. I've been hiding all of you since this morning; if I hadn't, I have no doubt that Zeus would have already questioned all of you." Rhea smiled as a strange glint appeared in her eyes, "And you are very lucky that no one but me noticed you coming here two nights ago, Aphrodite."

The Goddess of Love looked over at her step-mother and bit her lips, "I'm not breaking any rules coming here; love is my domain, and my being with Naruto is a part of it."

"Technically, yes, but we all know that it's stretching it a little."

"It doesn't matter; I'm not going to leave Naruto again." Aphrodite crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "This is something that I am extremely committed to and no one can change my mind."

"Yes, you were quite clear on that…" muttered Artemis softly, still a little uncomfortable about Aphrodite's threat to her and her hunters.

Athena couldn't help but frown at her words, _'If only I have the same determination as her in love…'_

Hestia sighed and shook her head, "I never thought you'd actually go this far. You are abandoning your temple, your immortal children and most of your duties just to be with Naruto. Far be it from me to say anything about committing to family, but this is a little too extreme, Aphrodite."

"As the Goddess of Love, I am only pursuing what I deem as real love. I've never loved anyone like I love Naruto and I'm sure that I know better than anyone else that this is something extremely rare, especially among us immortals, so don't even bother trying to convince me otherwise."

Hestia frowned, but Rhea placed a hand on hers before she could continue. "Let it be, Tia, we should respect Aphrodite's own choices; it's her life and she alone should make the decisions." Aphrodite smiled and nodded, and Rhea gave her a knowing look. "If she somehow managed to convince Hera to stand on her side, I'm sure that this is truly something special."

Aphrodite's eyes widened as the other Goddesses grew interested. "What do you mean, Hera, mother?"

Rhea smiled at her eldest daughter and winked, "If I'm not wrong, I think I smell the distinct aroma of the Hera's sacred bath on Aphrodite, and if Hera allowed her to use it, I'm sure the reasons behind this relationship are quite strong."

"W-What?!" cried the three Goddesses in shock!

Athena shakily turned to Aphrodite and stuttered, "Y-You mean you actually regained your v-virginity and gave it to N-Naruto?!" Aphrodite merely turned to the side with her eyes still closed, answering the question. "I-I never thought-"

"You'd go this damn far!" Artemis was seriously wondering if someone had replaced the Aphrodite she knew. The Love Goddess she knew would switch between lovers every single day and would have more demigod children than Apollo; she would have never even imagined that she would do something so extreme. Something was seriously wrong with her and the man she loved. "Alright, who in the name of Hades is that _man_ next door?! What in Order did he do to you?!"

"Nothing, we simply love each other!"

Hestia gently reached for Aphrodite's hand and gave it a light squeeze, "Please tell us this, Aphrodite: how is your relationship with Naruto different from the ones you've had before? What is so special about him that you are willing to go so far? I doubt even Adonis or Ares would have such an effect on you."

Aphrodite scoffed at the ridiculous notion and crossed her arms, "There's no doubt; Naruto is the only person I would do this for."

"I'm really interested!" Rhea smiled as she rested her chin on her hands, "He is handsome enough and seemed like a cute father, but give us details. How did you two meet?" Before Aphrodite could speak again, Rhea stopped her. "Wait, Athena met him first, so you tell us first." Everyone looked over at Athena who sighed and crossed her arms. "Come on, little granddaughter, tell grand-mommy about you little boyfriend."

With a roll of her eyes, Athena spoke. "Well, we met at New York State University…"

* * *

"Daddy, can you change the cat-litter?!" Annabeth held Einstein in her arms as she brushed its grey fur into a shining luster. "It's Lacy's turn but she won't do it!"

"Toothless didn't even use the litter!" Lacy glared at her sister as she finished getting dressed, "Your giant grey ball of fur did all that and I'm not cleaning it! It's disgusting!"

"Your _dragon_ left a huge mess last time and _I_ changed it!"

Naruto sighed as he walked into the girl's bathroom with a garbage bag and new litter. "Stop fighting, girls. Lacy, it's only fair that you change it this time; you both agreed upon the schedule and must follow it. It's your responsibility." Naruto handed his pouting daughter the garbage bag and patted her head, "Come on, princess, I'll help you with it."

"Fine…" muttered Lacy as she stuck her tongue out at Annabeth.

Annabeth scoffed and ignored her, but couldn't stop the smug smile from appearing on her face. She turned back to her kitty and combed through its soft fur; its shade of grey was beautiful and very close to her own eyes. _'Grey eyes...'_ the thought of her eyes reminded her of one of the beautiful ladies that just moved in to the house next door. She had the same shade of grey in her eyes and she gave off a warm aura. Annabeth thought she might have imagined it, but she saw the woman's eyes soften as she looked at her; her made Annabeth feel warm and cozy, not unlike her dad's hugs. _'I should talk to her later.'_

"Annie," said Naruto as he looked back at his princess. "Einstein looks fine, go get dressed."

The girl was still in her blue pajamas and nodded at her father, "Okay."

Lacy, who had just finished with the littler, smiled and followed her sister. "Wait, I'll come with you!" The girl grabbed onto Annabeth's hand and grinned up at her, "I won't let you dress the same as usual; Percy is coming over later and you should at least try to not look so boring!"

Annabeth sighed as she left the room, "I do not look boring."

"You keep wearing only grey and blue; that's really boring!" Lacy pulled her sister along as Toothless and Einstein trailed behind them. "Come on, daddy bought you that green sundress right? Let's go try that out!" The little girl giggled, "You need to look pretty to get Percy to like you!"

"I'll say this for the last time: I DON'T LIKE PERCY THAT WAY!"

"I'm your cute baby sister; you don't need to lie to me!"

Naruto shivered at the conversation and just walked back into his living room. He had cleaned up a few days ago, but he was still fiddling around, trying to fix everything. If his assumptions were correct, four Goddesses and one Titaness were coming to his home to help with Halloween, as ridiculous as that sounded. He still couldn't fathom the fact that Artemis and Hestia were at his front porch, and he was still in shock that the Mother of the Gods had moved into the house next door. He swore, when he heard Artemis call the gorgeous blonde woman "Mother Rhea", his heart almost stopped.

From what started out to be such a simple morning, it had certainly turned into the most stressful afternoon. With everything that had happened, Naruto's mind couldn't help but recall back to how Athena reacted to Aphrodite's words and how angry and passionate Aphrodite became when they wanted to take her back. Two of the four most important females in his life were coming back into his life, and it was crazy exciting and frightening. Hopefully, the other two females – his two little princesses – would be happy that their mothers were back into their lives.

_'I should vacuum the living room…'_

* * *

"So daring!" exclaimed Rhea with a grin. "A university professor having a child with her own student: that is so controversial."

Athena blushed and sent her grandmother a slight glare, "Don't say it like that!" She had been mocked more than once by Aphrodite saying that she liked to have kids with her students; it was not her fault that most of her top students were very intelligent. "He was my student, but he graduated before Annabeth was born!"

"How boring Naruto must have felt," muttered Aphrodite, "What did you two even do outside of school?"

Athena huffed and turned away, "None of your business."

Hestia sighed and rubbed her temples, "Girls, don't fight."

Artemis, seeing how the situation was once again turning into a spat between War and Love, decided to speak up and intervene. "So what kind of course were you teaching at the time?" The Huntress didn't really care, but any subject would be better than Aphrodite hounding at Athena about her dates with men. "He must have been a good student if he managed to gain your affection."

Athena actually smiled and nodded. "I was teaching Historical Warfare as well as Military Tactics at the time, and Naruto was the top student in both classes." She fondly thought back to the brilliant strategies her love had developed all those years ago before she continued, "He was a Business Major, but took my classes as options, so I was skeptical about him at first. As the class went on, he managed to achieve full marks on every single paper and exam I assigned, and absolutely crushed every one of his classmates in a war simulation."

Artemis crossed her arms and nodded, "That is impressive; it's not common for such a young human to be so adept at warfare tactics."

"Indeed," said Athena. "In the many years I have been teaching such classes, Naruto ranks among the top five students."

Rhea snacked on some potato chips and smiled at her granddaughter, "So I'm guessing you made a brain-child with him right after he graduated?"

"Yes, I did."

"Naughty professor~"

"Shut up, you damn pile of foam!"

"So what else do you know about the man?" asked Hestia, trying to deter the group from descending into pointless insults. "From what we all saw, he only lives with his daughters and doesn't seem to have any contact with his parents or other family members."

Athena rested back on her seat in thought, "I've never met anyone from his family." Aphrodite nodded along; she hadn't met any of the either. "What I should add here is that Naruto cannot remember anything before his sixteenth birthday; he had an accident right before it and after he awoke from a coma, all of his memories were gone." The Wisdom Goddess crossed her arms, "I have tried on several occasions to rid him of his amnesia, but no matter how thorough I search his brain, I couldn't find any hidden or lost memories."

"I've tried the same thing," said Aphrodite with a frown. "I tried to find any linger feeling of love – be it from his parents or old lovers – but I couldn't find anything. His mind was void of any information before his sixteenth birthday and no matter how much power I use, nothing would surface."

"That is certainly interesting," said Rhea with her head resting on her hands, "A case of amnesia that both of you can't fix is quite rare and unexplainable."

"Yeah, when I have time I'll try to bribe Apollo to come heal it for me." Aphrodite wondered if she could offer even more glamourous sex lives to the Sun God's children.

Artemis scoffed, "Don't give him too much credit; he may be the God of Healing, but I'm sure his skills have dulled greatly after so many years of doing nothing."

"Do you know what kind of accident he was in?" asked Hestia with interest. "It must have been something serious."

Athena shook her head, "When I checked the hospital database, all it said was someone found an unconscious young man in the middle of the university campus. He was transferred to the hospital and stayed there until he woke up a month later."

"He sure is mysterious for a mortal."

Hestia nodded at her mother, "I agree; this is certainly interesting."

"But anyway, we can get back to this later." Rhea smiled at Aphrodite, "I think it's our Goddess of Love's turn to tell us how she met this nice young man."

Aphrodite grinned, making Athena roll her eyes, "Well, it all started when I walked into his adorable Candy Store!"

* * *

According to a list Aphrodite had written for him, Naruto had brought home three boxes of chocolate to hand out to the children. It was most of the cheaper stocks of his company, but was still quite good quality. The Goddess had insisted that they get rid of all of it so they would have more space to place the new inventory she had ordered from France. Naruto wasn't about to argue with the mother of his youngest daughter, so he did as he was told.

Placing the boxes next to the table, Naruto refocused and started to fiddle with the pumpkins on the kitchen countertop. He had bought three of them, so it was enough both his girls and would still have one for backup. Though now he might have to give it to some of the Goddesses to carve for themselves.

"Daddy, come here for a second!"

Naruto wiped his hands before walking upstairs to his girls' bathroom. His nerves were getting a little better, but his eyes were still trying as hard as they could to spot any specs of dirt of food on the ground; the last thing he wanted was for a Goddess to find a piece of chocolate stuck to her feet. Thankfully, his staircase was perfectly clean, and he walked up to his daughters with relief.

"What is it, princess?"

Lacy grinned, looking adorable in a pink sundress. "We're done dressing, now it's your turn!"

Annabeth, who was dressed in the new green sundress her dad had bought for her, shook her head with a sigh. As if it was not enough that her little sister forced her to dress up like a doll for a simple Halloween preparation day, she was going to force their dad into the clothes of her choice. Frankly, Annabeth would prefer her dad to dress as he usually did; he already had enough women attracted to him, so looking more handsome would just be more annoying.

Naruto sighed and patted Lacy's head, "I'm already dressed."

His daughter shook her head and poked him in the stomach, "No, you look like you always do! You can't _always_ wear the same black shirt and grey jeans; sometimes you have to change your image so other people will not get bored!"

The elder blond looked scandalized, "I don't look boring!"

"You look good, daddy, but if you keep looking the same way every day, it will get boring!" His daughter dragged him by the finger and pushed him into his room. "I picked out some clothes for you, so get changed already!"

"You know I'm the parent, right?"

Lacy stuck her tongue out at her daddy, "But I'm better at these things!" She closed the door and turned away, "Ms. Hess and her sisters and mom will be here soon, so hurry up!"

Naruto smiled and chuckled as he shook his head, _'Lacy is so much like Aphrodite, it's crazy.'_ He looked down at the clothes his daughter chose for him and smiled again, _'But this isn't so bad, way better than that weird underwear Aphrodite bought me.'_

Outside of the room, Lacy grinned and gave her sister and thumbs up.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Why are you doing this, Lace?" Her grey eyes were oddly intimidating as she stared down at her younger sister, but the girl just smiled back at her. "You're trying to make dad dress up for the ladies next door."

"I know we both don't like it when the moms at school look at daddy, but I think that red haired lady next door looks great with him!" Lacy giggled and jumped up and down excitedly, "Did you see her? She's beautiful and I think she will make a great girlfriend for daddy!"

"We don't even know her; what would we do if they do get together and she turns out to be a bad person?" Lace gave her a blank look, making her sigh, "Besides, I am more interested in the lady with the grey eyes." Annabeth leaned against the wall and thought back to the lady, "She seemed really smart and is also very pretty, so if dad were to choose one of them, I would prefer him choosing her."

"No way, the red haired lady is much more beautiful."

"It's not all about looks, Lace." Annabeth smiled and poked her sister's forehead as she grabbed her hand, "Come on; let's go watch a movie or something before those ladies come over."

"Can we please watch _How To Train Your Dragon_?!"

"No!"

Unknown to them, Naruto was standing quite close to his door and had heard everything his daughters said. Not only was he shocked, but he had to wonder if they subconsciously felt some sort of connections with their mothers; Lacy wanted him to be with Aphrodite and Annabeth clearly preferred Athena. He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair, wondering what would happen from that point on.

_'This is going to be very unique day…'_

* * *

"R-Right in the middle of a restaurant?!" muttered Hestia with a scandalized expression and a killer blush.

Rhea chuckled as she snacked on some potato chips, "That is daring, I must say."

Aphrodite laughed and nodded, "You should have seen Naruto's face when the waiter caught us. His face was so red and hot it was like it was glowing! He pull his pants up as fast as he could and just pulled me out of the restaurant; most people in the lounge were staring at us and the waiter didn't know if he should follow after us or not." The Goddess clutched her stomach and wiped some tears from her eyes, "I swear, he was fidgety for the two weeks and wouldn't even drive anywhere near that restaurant!"

Rhea was chuckling and nodded, "That's certainly understandable."

"I can't believe you tried to seduce Naruto in public…" Athena glared at Aphrodite with her arms crossed with a disgusted look on her face.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with having a little fun while waiting for a meal, and he was _really_ enjoying it until the waiter caught us!"

"Can we please talk about something else?" Artemis was rubbing her temples and sighed for the hundredth time in the past hour, "This subject is tedious, repulsive, and would make most of my hunters want to shoot you."

Aphrodite huffed, "You and your virgin girl scouts will never understand."

Rhea chuckled, "Three out of five here will never understand."

Hestia rolled her eyes, "Really, Mother?"

Rhea kissed her daughter's cheek before she turned back to the Love Goddess. "But going back on subject: Aphrodite, I think it is time for you to tell us why you love this man so much."

The Love Goddess noticed that everyone was staring at her, and she merely smiled. "I didn't really understand it at first; even as the Goddess of Love I didn't know what I was feeling." She looked over at Athena and saw the Wisdom Goddess' widened eyes, no doubt seeing the similarities of their situations. "I knew full well that I loved Naruto, perhaps much more than all my other lovers, but it felt very peculiar. It wasn't solely based on sex or physical attraction; it was also very comfortable and natural. I just feel right when I'm with him, just really happy."

_'That's almost exactly how I feel right now…'_ muttered Athena inwardly, her mind racing at the speed of light to analyze her situation.

"That sounds really precious," said Hestia with a smile. "I'm happy for you."

Aphrodite smiled back at Hestia, who was probably her best friend, before continuing. "I was deeply in love with him, so you could imagine how difficult it was for me to leave him when Lacy was born." Rhea and Hestia smile sadly and nodded, "I tried to forget about it and get one with my life, but I just couldn't – I have never felt so strongly about someone before. I started to watch Naruto from Olympus and the more I do, the deeper I was falling in love with him, especially when I see him playing with Annabeth and Lacy."

"He is a great father," muttered Athena softly.

"Yeah, out of all the fathers of my children, he is by far the best." Aphrodite smiled warmly and closed her eyes, "I guess that was when I really started to see how special Naruto really is and how irresponsible all the other men had been."

Rhea smiled, "I'm guessing this is almost when you spoke with Hera?"

Aphrodite nodded, "I went to Lady Hera to ask if I could use her bath; I wanted Naruto back and figured that the results of the bath would make things easier. What I didn't expect was for Lady Hera to tell me why I am feeling so strongly for Naruto." Athena stared at the Love Goddess, making sure to listen attentively. "She made me understand that I feel a familial love for Naruto." She smiled at the others sweetly, "I love him as a lover and as a father of my little girl, and that makes all the difference in the world. Lady Hera said that this is what a wife would feel for her husband; it is completely different than what a normal boyfriend and girlfriend would feel for one another. " Aphrodite's smile widened, "And she's right."

"Wow…" mumbled Artemis as she stared at Aphrodite, who looked more happy and genuine than the Huntress had ever seen.

Hestia reached for Aphrodite's hand and gave it a light squeeze, "I've never seen you like this."

"Well, I've never felt like this." Aphrodite's smile was perpetual as she looked at the other immortals, "And I really do think this is the real thing."

Rhea's smile grew as she grinned at her step-daughter, "What do you mean?"

"If all things go my way, I'm going to make Naruto my immortal husband." Athena's eyes widened and almost crushed the armrests on her chair. "Hephaestus and I had never been husband and wife, and I'm going to officially divorce him and marry Naruto."

"A-Are you sure?" asked Hestia with great shock. "An immortal is husband is literally forever; for the rest of your life, which may be eternity, you will always be with him."

"Yeah, do you need to think about it more?" Rhea was happy for her step-daughter, but worried that her decision was still premature. "I know you've had a daughter with him and have been with him for a few months before, but that might be too little time for you to decide."

Aphrodite merely gave the all a smile, "I know full well what I am doing; as the Goddess of Love I can usually predict how long love between two people can last, and I can't see an end to this one." She finished her glass of orange soda and grinned, "This is also the beginning of my life as a mother; Lacy is still young and it's not too late for me to be a part of her life."

Artemis sighed, "So you're really not going back to Olympus?"

"Of course I'm going back; I have to keep Naruto a secret from most male Gods until I marry him." Rhea and Hestia nodded in agreement at her words. "I'm going to be on Olympus every few days and attend the council meetings, but other than that I'll be with Naruto."

"Know that I cannot hide you and the girls forever; I will only shroud your presence for this week, but after that the other Olympians will be able to sense you." Rhea crossed her arms and stared pointedly at her step-daughter, "In the end, you are stretching the limits of your domain and it would be against my personal standards to hide you from the council."

"I understand; I'll make sure to hide my presence to the bare minimum." Aphrodite stood and stretched her arms, "And don't worry about Naruto and the girls; I may not fight often, but I am quite sure that I can defeat most of the council. If Lord Zeus and Lord Poseidon don't come after me, I should be fine."

_'Let see if she would still say that when Ares come for them…'_ thought Artemis while shaking her head.

"Now, I think it's time to head over and carve some pumpkins!"

Rhea sighed, but smiled afterwards. "Okay then, let's go meet my step-granddaughter and great-granddaughter."

Hestia smiled and stood as well, and smiled when she saw the irritated look on Artemis' face. "Come on little niece, I'll bake your favorite peanut-butter cookies and make you Shepard's Pie for dinner." The Huntress' eyes sparkled as she looked up at her aunt, making her giggle. "And if you are willing to help out with the pumpkin carvings, I'll make you Sticky Pudding with Coconut Ice Cream for dessert."

Trying not to drool, Artemis stood up, "Alright, let's go!"

Hestia happily pulled Artemis along by the arm and looked back at Athena. "Come on Athena, you can go meet Annabeth!" The Goddess of the Hearth had noticed that Athena had been awfully silent since Aphrodite said she planned to marry Naruto, and she was getting concerned.

The Wisdom Goddess stood with her usual confidence and dignity and nodded. "I know, let us go." Her grey eyes were determined and focused, as if she was going in war. Hestia bit her lip as she noticed the look on Athena's face; the last time she had seen such an expression was during World War II. "It's time for my daughter to meet me."

As Aphrodite walked through the door, Rhea looked back at Athena, a little surprised at the intensity in her eyes. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Athena merely smirked and nodded, "Definitely; I haven't felt this determined in a long time."

"What do you mean?" asked Artemis curiously.

"Let's just say that I'm sure of how I feel about Naruto now and I know what I have to do." Athena flicked several strands of her silky hair back as she stepped out of the door. "I'm no longer confused and I'm no longer frustrated; everything is clear now and couldn't be simpler." The other immortals grew concerned at the power flowing from Athena and slowly followed after her, "I know what I have to do and how to do it; Athena always has a plan and victory is always mine."

Hestia bit her lip again in concern, "What are you going to do?"

Rhea and Artemis stared along as Athena turned back with her intimidating grey eyes, "Exactly what Aphrodite is going to do, but faster." She gave a soft laugh as she continued her way to Naruto's home, "I think it is time for the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy to have a husband."

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, ATHENA?!"

"FATHER IS GOING TO GO CRAZY!

Athena just smiled and ignored the others behind her. _'It's on, Aphrodite! I love Naruto just as much as you do and I'm not going to lose to you!"_

* * *

Opening his front door had never been so intimidating; when the mothers of his daughters were on the other side, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if his door were to blast to pieces. He could feel the vibrations behind the thin piece of wood and his hand was shaking on the doorknob, but with one final exhale, he opened the door.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Hey, handsome!"

Naruto stared at Athena and Aphrodite with his teeth shaking. When he was alone with one of them, everything was perfect, but when both of them were with him, he felt as if a nuclear bomb had been planted in his home, especially when they were both smiling at him.

The two Goddesses glanced at each other and both crossed their arms.

_'All is fair in Love and War!'_

Naruto gulped, "Please, come in."

* * *

**The End!**

**OH! THIS SHIT IS GETTING REAL! XD**

**PS: As I said in my other updates, SoulReaperCrewe and I have created a collaboration account. We have started a collaboration story and it will be posted soon; it is a Naruto x Percy Jackson and the Olympians Crossover. The account is called: Maelstrom of Olympia.**

**AS USUAL, I WILL UPDATE FASTER WITH MORE REVIEWS, SO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD**


	9. Cookies and Cakes

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 9**

* * *

"You look so handsome~"

Naruto smiled at his lover, silently wondering how his little princess was so adept at choosing his clothes. Instead of his usual grey jeans and black dress-shirt, he was wearing his daughter's selection, which included a pair of black formfitting jeans with a white belt, a simple purple t-shirt under a black sports coat that both did little to hide his muscular frame and a pair of black leather boots. It was much more formal and heavy than what he was used to, but seeing the guest list of the day, it should work fine.

"Thanks, your daughter picked it out." Naruto smiled as the Love Goddess giggled at the thought, "She said I look boring with my usual clothes."

"It's better than that orange sweater you used to wear in class," said Athena, who was smiling at the father of her child. "Even in the large symposium rooms, I could find you right away because of that monstrosity."

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, "Well, you eventually talked me out of it."

Standing in the small entrance of the home, the Goddesses Athena and Aphrodite stood, smiling at their love. Rhea, Hestia and Artemis were slowly walking through the door, all wondering if Athena was being serious about finding a husband. They all knew that if Athena and Aphrodite were to fight over Naruto, it would be the Adonis incident with Persephone all over again, but greatly amplified. If Aphrodite really loved Naruto so much and if Athena were to plan to steal him for herself, it could result in cataclysmic destruction. The last thing they wanted to see was the city of New York burned to the ground under the two Goddess' power.

Naruto glanced at the other Goddesses standing behind the mothers of his children before looking back at Athena and Aphrodite, "So, is everything okay?" He had been worried about the implications of his loves coming to visit him so often and wondered if they would get in trouble. "Nothing bad is happening, right?"

Aphrodite smiled and hugged one of his arms, "Don't worry, everything is fine."

Athena narrowed her eyes at the Love Goddess, but refocused on Naruto. "So, where are the girls?" she asked with a sweet smile. "I think it's time I officially meet my daughter."

Naruto bit his lip and gestured to the living room, "T-They're in the living room watching a movie." He stepped closer to the Goddesses of Love and War and whispered, "Please be discreet about this, okay? The girls never really asked about their mothers, but I'm sure that they really want to meet the two of you, so just be delicate about it."

"Trust me, Naruto," said Athena as she smiled and placed a soft hand on his cheek. "The last thing I want is for either of the girls to be hurt or confused; I will ease into the fact that I'm Annabeth's mother. I won't tell her until I've gotten to know her and she feels comfortable towards me."

Naruto smiled and nodded with a slight sigh of relief, "Thank you…"

Aphrodite glared slightly at Athena for her intimate touches and grunted, "Come on Owl-Head, let's just go meet the girls." She pulled the Wisdom Goddess by the arm, "I've waited a very long time for this and don't you dare ruin it for me." The Love Goddess turned back to Naruto and smiled lovingly at him, "And don't worry about me either, I'm sure Lacy and I will get along great."

"I know you will." Naruto could only wonder how much his youngest princess would love her mother; they were almost exactly the same person and he knew that they would utterly adore each other.

Naruto watched as the loves of his life walk towards the living room, and he couldn't help but feel nervous at the sight. Ever since the days he first held his baby daughters in his arms, he had been wondering if they would ever meet their mothers. After many hours of wondering and dreams of it happening, he didn't know how to react when it was actually happening. He wanted nothing more than for his daughters to have a complete family – a mother and a father in their little home – and have a happy and safe childhood. Hopefully, with the Goddesses back in his life, his daughters would have something like that.

"It is as they say," said a sudden voice that knocked Naruto out of his thoughts. "You don't have to worry; they both love their daughters and would never hurt them." Hestia smiled at the father of the children and calmed him with her powers, "I'm sure the girls will love having their mothers in their lives."

"Yeah, you're right…" Naruto smiled at the kind Goddess, "And I guess I should have known who you were a lot sooner, Lady Hestia."

Hestia smiled and waved it off, "It's perfectly understandable; I'm not the most recognizable Goddess." She turned to gesture to her mother and her niece with a smile, "And while I'm quite sure you've figured it out already, this is my mother, Rhea, the Titaness of Motherhood and Beauty and the Mother of the Olympians; this is Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and Hunt."

Almost shivering at the piercing gaze of the Goddess of the Hunt, Naruto gave a bow. "It's an honor, Lady Rhea, Lady Artemis."

Rhea smiled and nodded at the young man, "No need to be so formal, young man." She took off her jacket and looked rather casual for such a powerful woman, "This is your home and we are here as visiting family. Just relax and treat us to a relaxing day of baking and carving."

Naruto relaxed at Rhea's expression; she was just like Hestia with her warmness. "I'll be sure to."

"And there is no need to be so frightened of me," muttered Artemis with her arms crossed. "I will only turn men I detest into jackalopes, and so far you have done nothing to wrong me."

Naruto nodded, "Thank you, Lady Artemis."

Hestia smiled at the interaction and linked her arms with Artemis', "Come on Arty, let's go see how your sister is doing."

* * *

Lacy had her arms crossed as she pouted at her sister. No matter how much she plead to Annabeth, she won't let her watch _How To Train Your Dragon _and bullied her into watching _Troy_ – a movie their dad had always tried to avoid showing them. Lacy understood why; no matter how cool or epic Annabeth thought the movie was, the blood and gore, and the slightly awkward love scenes made Lacy uncomfortable…though the characters in the film were very handsome, especially the long haired blond man and the young prince.

"Look at that~" Lacy looked behind her and saw the pretty red haired lady smiling at the television. "Brad Pitt as Achilles and Orlando Bloom as Paris are just perfect, and Sean Bean as Odysseus is delightful." Aphrodite had seen _Troy_ multiple times; she had always said that it was one of Apollo's best works in Hollywood. The Goddess smiled down at her little girl and winked, "Don't you think so, sweetie?"

Lacy grinned and nodded at the friendly lady, "Yep, the long haired blond guy and the young prince are cool!"

"As I've always said, this movie is vastly inaccurate." Athena smiled when she noticed her daughter look up at her the moment she said those words; she knew Annabeth would notice the inaccuracies and would appreciate the mention. "They took out the majority of the Trojan War and Olympus' involvement."

"I couldn't agree more," said Annabeth as she looked over at the grey-eyed lady. "They completely omitted the Apple of Discord and the Goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite."

The two Goddesses bit their lips at the reminder of their rather immature moments…

_'I can't believe I actually cared if I was more beautiful than Hera and the pile of foam.'_

_'I still think that Paris chose right; I am so much prettier than Owl-Head and Lady Hera.'_

"They took out the choice of Paris, Aphrodite's gift, and how Poseidon and Athena worked together to create the chariot." Annabeth sipped on a cup of hot chocolate as she stared at the television. "That was the disappointing part; I wanted to see how Poseidon made horses from sea foam." She smiled and looked at the ladies, "Though Athena was still the smarter one; who cares about horses when you don't have the chariot-cart."

"I can't agree more." Athena smiled at her daughter and nodded, "People give Poseidon far too much credit sometimes, especially when it comes to the contest between being the Patron God of Athens."

"Oh yeah, the olive tree is so much better; it's real genius that has many uses even in modern days."

Athena sat down next to the girl with a perpetual smile, "You're really smart, Annabeth; not many people see the practicality of olives and how much it had effected western civilization." The girl smiled and blushed a little, "And I'm surprised you know so much about the Trojan War; not many girls so young have such an interest in ancient warfare."

"It's not necessarily ancient warfare; I just really like studying on Ancient Greek Mythology!" Annabeth smiled at the lady, happy that there was someone who she could talk to about such things. "I really like reading about all the epic tales, especially the Odyssey; Odysseus is probably my favorite ancient Greek hero; he is just so smart about his quest."

"I agree, instead of punching and slashing his way through like almost every other hero, Odysseus uses his mind and strategy to find his way back to his wife." Athena smiled and patted the girl's soft blonde hair that was so much like her father's, "It's really a beautiful story."

"Yep, I make dad read it to me before bed."

Athena smiled proudly at her daughter; unknown to most people, it was her who kept precise details of the many epic tales of the ancient time and she whispered into the ears of Homer and Hesiod; each and every one of their words had come from her and their tales had become immortal. Athena was quite proud of her ancient texts and how prominent it still was in modern times, especially since it had become the favorite of her special daughter.

"Man, talk about a boring conversation," whispered Aphrodite while shaking her head; even with Naruto's ever-whimsical personality, Annabeth still inherited far too much of her mother's obsession with literature.

Lacy, who heard the lady's words clearly, giggled and covered her mouth. "Yeah, Annie always talks about these things and they are just so boring."

Aphrodite winked at her daughter as she sat down next to her, "I know, right? I don't get how she could go on and on about these things without falling asleep halfway through."

"You should listen to Annie talk about architecture; I swear it's better than daddy's lullabies." Lacy giggled softly and tried to hide their conversation from her sister and the grey-eyed lady, who were still talking about some Greek poet. "She gets mad at me when I fall asleep when she's talking, but it's hard to stay awake when it's so boring!"

"Yeah, they expect us to pay attention and stay awake, and they just don't know how hard it is!" Lacy nodded enthusiastically, ecstatic that the pretty lady was just like her. "It's as if her clothes aren't boring enough," she muttered as she glanced at the outfit Athena was wearing – she looked like a librarian.

"Totally!" exclaimed Lacy as she leaned closer to the lady. "Annie dresses like an old lady! Even when she goes to school to see her little boyfriend, she _still_ chooses to wear her usual grey and blue clothes. I had to force her to wear that green sundress this morning; if I didn't than Percy would just get tired of her boring clothes!"

Aphrodite kissed Lacy's forehead, "You're really good at these things, aren't you?"

"Yep!" Lacy grinned and bounced slightly on the couch, "Daddy says that I get it from my mommy! I bet my mommy is just the coolest lady ever!"

The Goddess giggled and couldn't help but wrap an arm around her little girl's shoulders, "You are just the cutest and sweetest girl, ever!"

Naruto stood behind the four most important people in his life and rubbed his eyes. Ever since six years ago – when Annabeth first asked for her mommy – he had been hoping that one day, his little girls will get a chance to meet their mothers. For so many years, he had convinced himself that it was never going to happen; Goddesses were far out of reach and they had no care for his earthly woes, but he had been proven wrong. The sight of Annabeth chatting with Athena with sparkly eyes and of Lacy and Aphrodite laughing and giggling together brought him to tears. His family was complete.

A soft hand patted his shoulder, "You have a beautiful family."

"Thank you, Lady Hestia." Naruto wiped his eyes and smiled at the kind Goddess. "It's just a little surreal that my daughters are finally bonding with their mothers."

"Believe me, young man," started Rhea as she smiled at the sight. "Every mother in the world loves their children, and it is no different with Goddesses. Leaving their babies with you were probably the most difficult things they will ever do, especially since they genuinely care for you, and now that they've finally met the little girls, their love for them will only grow." The Titaness of Motherhood gently held onto Hestia's hand, "There is nothing stronger than a mother's love, young man, that I can assure you."

Artemis smiled and nodded along, thinking about her own mother. _'I should go visit mother soon; I'll grab Apollo with me as well, I'm sure she'd want to see us after so long.'_

"Daddy!" cried Lacy as she saw her daddy standing behind them. "Were you listening in?!"

Aphrodite shook her head mockingly at Naruto with a sly wink, "For shame, Naruto; this is private girl talk; no boys allowed."

"Don't worry, I didn't hear anything." Naruto lifted his little girl into his arms and smiled when she wrapped her little arms around his neck; he kissed her cheek and looked down at his lover. "Come on; let's start carving pumpkins and baking cookies." He carried Lacy in his arms as he ruffled her hair, "And yes, I did but the dove cookie cutter for you, princess."

His youngest smiled and nodded, "Thanks daddy."

He smiled at his eldest, who was still watching a movie with her mother, and felt incredibly amused when he saw how similar they looked when they focused. Almost exactly like her mother, Annabeth's brows would furrow as she thought about the movie – the mistakes it made – and her grey eyes would darken whenever someone did something stupid. With both Annabeth and Athena sitting next to each other, Naruto marveled at how alike the looked; his daughter will grow up to be just as beautiful as her mother.

"Come on Annie, you can finish the movie later."

Annabeth bit her lip and gave her dad a pleading look, "But dad, Patrolocus just died and Achilles is about to go crazy."

Athena nodded as she crossed her arms, "Yeah, this is one of the more accurate scenes of the movie."

Artemis rolled her eyes and sighed, "We all know how _that_ ends." The Huntress could still remember all the hunters she had gathered during the final moments of the Trojan War; the sack of Troy left hundreds of homes in ruin and Artemis saved most of the maidens before they were raped by the men – she also turned at least two hundred men into jackalopes. "Come on Thea, I want Tia's Peanut Butter Cookies."

The Wisdom Goddess sighed, "Fine."

Annabeth stood along with the nice grey-eyed lady and walked up to her dad. "So what are we going to do now?"

Naruto smiled and ruffled her princess curls, "Let's bake some cookies."

Over the years, Naruto had spent many hours in his kitchen, and he liked to think that he had mastered cooking and baking treats, but after seeing how a real master does it, he knew he was wrong. It was Hestia at first; the Goddess' hands moved like the wind when handling the ingredients and mixers, but then Rhea stepped in. The mother of the gods was even more advanced; her arms whipped the batters better and faster than his electric mixer. Between the two Goddesses, they made over a hundred cookies in less than one hour with only one oven – Naruto wondered if they used some magic to make his oven bigger. In the end, he just left his batter uncooked on the table; there was no point anymore.

He settled with helping the girls clear the tables and clean the used plates.

"Don't feel bad," whispered a soft voice from his side. "Those two are perhaps the best cooks that ever existed, so there is no shame in losing to them."

Naruto smiled at his lover and discreetly gave her a wink, "Losing is not the word, more like completely destroyed." He looked at his girls, who were both chowing down on the mountain of cookies with gleeful expressions on their greasy faces. "But whatever, as long as the princesses likes the cookies."

Aphrodite giggled, "They aren't the only ones."

Naruto looked over his shoulder and almost chuckled at the sight of Lady Artemis happily munching on her own platter of cookies. For the first time since he had first seen her, this was the first time he'd seen a smile on the Goddess' face. He had to admit, when Artemis wasn't glaring at him with her scary piercing eyes, she was nearly as beautiful as Athena and Aphrodite.

"I'm guessing Lady Hestia and Lady Rhea's cooking is popular on Olympus?"

"Oh yeah," said Athena, joining the conversation before Aphrodite could say anything. "Aunt Hestia usually cooks for everyone during the Olympic Games, and sometimes we would have to stop some of the Gods from eating too much before they compete."

Despite being a little peeved that her privacy with Naruto was interrupted, Aphrodite giggled. "Yeah, I still remember how Hermes lost the Hundred-Meter Dash because he ate too much. Hestia was happy, but he was groaning about losing to Apollo for the first time in a thousand years."

Naruto chuckled; he could only wonder how _human _the Gods could act. All the mental images of the Gods he had created in his mind after reading all his books were slowing changing into something else entirely.

"Okay, who wants to taste to cake frosting?"

"ME, ME, ME!"

"I do!"

"I would love to!"

Annabeth and Lacy stared at Artemis, who couldn't help but appear flushed at everyone's stares. Her aunt and grandmother only smiled lovingly at her, but the amused smirk on Athena's face, the laugh of Aphrodite and the pursed lips of the mortal man made her incredibly embarrassed.

"N-Never mind…"

"Oh come on!" Lacy giggled as she ran to Artemis and grabbed her hand. "The frosting is going to be really good!"

Artemis stared at Aphrodite's daughter and couldn't help but smile at her; the little girl was adorable and she could never resist such a sweet smile. It reminded her of the younger hunters in her camp, and since Lacy was technically her little surrogate niece, Artemis just couldn't say no. She gave the girl a small hug and allowed her to pull her towards the frosting, with Lacy giggling innocently the whole way.

_'I guess the daughters of Aphrodite could be really cute.'_

Annabeth, who was enjoying tasting a frosting spoon with a bright smile, handed another spoon for Artemis, who smiled and accepted it. She was seriously starting to like her two little nieces, and if they ever needed protection from men, she would happily accept them into her hunt. Actually, she would invite them right then, but she doubt their parents would allow them to start hunting monsters.

Rhea smiled and patted Artemis' head, "Okay girls, have a taste!"

Hestia giggled at the sight and shook her head fondly, _'If only Persephone were here; she'd love the girls and the food.'_ She smiled at Artemis, who looked like she was a little baby Goddess again, _'Actually, she and Artemis might fight over the food, so I guess not.'_

"Oh, that is so cute~"

For once, Athena nodded along to Aphrodite's words. "It's been a while since I've seen Artemis so giddy."

Naruto smiled, _'My princesses can warm up to anyone, especially their aunts, it seems.'_

In the next few hours, Hestia and Rhea made six cakes, each looking more gorgeous than the last. There were over two hundred cookies on his dinner table, six cakes on the countertop, a never-ending supply of hot chocolate on the stove, and of course, three carved pumpkins in the living room. Naruto carefully took pictures of each of them. First, there was the one Rhea, Hestia and Artemis carved, which looked amazing with countless small cuts and carvings that looked impossible – thanks to thousands of years using hunting knives, Artemis easily sliced up the pumpkin.

Naruto smiled warmly when he saw the one Annabeth and Athena carved; it was a traditional jack-o-lantern that was made into perfection. Every single cut was made precisely and carefully; it was as if the genius mother-daughter tag team measured every single cut and calculated on which part of the pumpkin's surface area should they start on. Everything was perfect, and judging on the smug smiles on Athena and Annabeth's faces, they thought so too.

_'Oh dear mothers of my children!'_

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Lacy and Aphrodite's pumpkin. Its face was made into a wink; its opened eye was in the shape of a heart and the smirk the mother and daughter carved almost looked like the Nike Logo. There were stars and other hearts decorating the outer edges of the pumpkin, and to finish it off, one of them added some lipstick on it – pink lipstick. It was certainly unique, and based on the proud hug Lacy gave Aphrodite, Naruto was quite sure it was perfect for them, too.

"There we go," said Athena with a smile. "The candle should hold nicely in the slight hole we made at the bottom."

Annabeth smiled proudly at her pumpkin and nodded, "I agree!"

"That looks boring, Annie!" Lacy shook her head at her sister, even when Annabeth glared at her. "It looks just like the usual pumpkins we see everywhere; why don't you try changing it up a little, like we did?" She pointed at her winking pumpkin and smirked, "Ours look way cooler!"

"Yep!" chirped Aphrodite as she gave her little girl a high-five.

"It's not boring," started Athena with her arms crossed. "It is traditional and is perfectly executed in every way."

"Yeah, like very _traditional_, just like your clothes, Thea~"

"My clothes are not boring."

"You'd be right if we were in the fifties!" Aphrodite smirked as Athena started to seethe in anger and she looked down at Annabeth, "Listen to me, Annie, traditional isn't always good; sometimes you have to be innovative and try new things to look gorgeous."

"That's what I always say to her!" Lacy nodded up at the Love Goddess as she pointed to Annabeth. "Anymore plain grey shirts and blue jeans, and she'd turn into an old lady!"

"I am not an old lady!" Annabeth glared at her sister as Athena glared at Aphrodite. "And grey and blue looks good to me!"

Lacy sighed and shook her head, "Who cares if you like it? What would you do when your boyfriend thinks you're boring?"

"I don't have a boyfriend!"

Naruto sighed and just sat down on the couch, rubbing his temples as he tried to think of ways to stop the argument. It was fine when it was only his two daughters, but with their mothers also going at it, he was a little intimidated. Off to the side, Rhea and Hestia were simply smiling at the conversation; they were happy to see such similarities between mothers and daughters. Artemis, though, just didn't care and continued to snack on the never-ending supply of cookies.

_~Ding-Dong~_

Naruto looked up at his doorbell ringing, but he wasn't as fast as Lacy.

"Ha!" The little girl grinned as she pointed at the door. "Percy is here, so how about we ask him if you're boring?!"

"Don't you dare, you annoying little troll!"

Naruto sighed and headed for the door, hoping the pointless bickering would stop soon. He was actually looking forward to having Sally and Percy over; even though it was a little weird now that Aphrodite told him about Sally's feelings for him, it was nice to have other normal people in the house. He had gotten used to having the immortals in his home in the past few hours, but it was still a little more relaxing to know that he wasn't the only none godly person in his home – even his princesses were half Goddesses.

"Hey Sally!" greeted Naruto as he smiled at his best employee.

The pretty brunette smiled back at her boss, "Hey Naruto, sorry we're a bit late."

"No problem." Naruto smiled down at Percy, who looked up at him with a happy grin. "And Percy, you look taller every time I see you!" He ruffled the boy's hair, chuckling at the smiling on his face. "You are going to be taller than me soon!"

"Hi, Sally!" Annabeth sneaked out behind her father's legs and smiled at her best friend's mother. "It's nice to see you again."

Sally giggled and nodded at the smart girl, "Nice to see you too, Annabeth."

The daughter of Athena smiled before she grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him in the house. "Come on, Seaweed Brain, come on in."

Percy smiled and rolled his eyes, "Relax, Wise Girl."

Naruto chuckled at the nicknames and invited Sally inside, "Yeah, please come in, Sally." He led the woman into the living room with a smile, "There are some people I want to introduce you to." With Annabeth walking Percy in ahead of them, he led his employee inside, looking back to all the Goddesses and Titaness sitting on his couches. "You've already met Dite." he said without his daughters listening since for all they know, he had only met the red haired lady that morning. "These are my neighbors; they just moved in recently and came to help out for Halloween."

"That's nice," said replied with a sweet smile.

Naruto gestured to Athena first, then moved to the others, "This is Thea, Arty, their mother Rhea, and of course, Ms. Hess, who just moved next door."

"Ms. Hess!" greeted Sally with a smile, "It's nice to see you again!"

Hestia stood and gave the woman a warm smiled, "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Jackson." She gestured to the others and smiled again, "My sisters and mother and I just moved next door, so we came to help out for Halloween."

Rhea smiled, "Yeah, the girls are adorable, so we came to bake them some cookies."

"Yeah, it's so fun!" Aphrodite stood and stepped next to Sally to whisper in her ear. "By the way, the girls don't know about Naruto and I, so please keep quiet about it."

Sally nodded with a small smile. "Got it…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the silence from Athena and Artemis, who both looked at Sally with frowns.

"Dite!" cried Lacy happily as she gestured to Percy, who was still quietly chatting with Annabeth in the corner about something – no doubt the daughter of Athena was telling the boy her demands of the day. "That's the Percy I was talking about!"

"Yes, I see." Aphrodite forced a smile at her daughter and nodded. "Nice looking boy."

Hestia took Sally's arm and gestured to the kitchen, "Come on Sally, we made some cookies. Come try some with Percy." Sally smiled at the idea; Hestia led her into the kitchen and called Annabeth, Lacy and Percy to follow her. "Come on kids, come have some more cookies."

"Yeah, the cookies are amazing!" Annabeth pulled Percy along with a smile.

Lacy winked at Aphrodite and mouthed, _"I told you they liked each other!"_

After the kids along with Hestia and Sally stepped into the kitchen, Naruto turned to the Goddesses and Rhea with a raised eyebrow. They were all silent and the mood felt very serious; it was as if something really bad had happened. Even Aphrodite had a frown on her face.

"Is something wrong?"

Ignoring her lover for the moment, Aphrodite turned to Athena. "That boy…you sensed it too, right?" Athena nodded with a deep frown, her grey eyes hardening as she crossed her arms. "He's of the sea; those green eyes of his prove it all."

"So that stupid Barnacle Beard broke his oath as well," muttered Athena darkly, "Why am I not surprised?"

Artemis sighed and shook her head, "I'm guessing Father doesn't know about him yet, or else he'd be dead."

Aphrodite turned to Rhea, "Did you know about this, Lady Rhea?"

"Yes I did; Hestia noticed it the day she met the boy." The mother of the gods frowned and closed her eyes, "Believe me, I gave Poseidon a stern talking to, but in the end we can't change the fact that the boy was born." She gave the younger immortals a rather serious stare, "We must not allow his existence to leak out; as dangerous as his presence is, he is my grandson and I do not want to see him end up like my little granddaughter, Thalia."

"Okay, what's going on?" asked Naruto, looking at Aphrodite and Athena.

"Naruto," started Aphrodite with a frown on her face. "That Percy boy; he is like Annabeth and Lacy." Naruto's eyes widened at her words, "He is a demigod; precisely, he is a son of Poseidon."

"Poseidon?!"

"One of the Big Three, God of the Seas and King of Atlantis," muttered Rhea with a shake of her head, "And my second youngest son."

"Dumbass Kelp-for-Brains," whispered Athena under her breath.

"There is nothing we can do about it now," said Artemis as she stood up. "Let's just ignore it for now and continue what we're doing naturally; if we don't say anything or act any differently, Father shouldn't be able to sense him." She sighed and shook her head as she looked at Naruto, "But you shouldn't have him and the two girls together all the time; with all three demigods together at once, their scent will be much stronger and will attract much more monsters."

Naruto nodded, "I understand."

Athena stood and gestured to the kitchen, "Come on; let's just keep on doing what we were doing."

"Right," said Rhea with a smile. "We still have to go shopping for costumes!"

* * *

**Olympus – Ares' Temple**

For the past month, the God of War had been angry at the Goddess of Love. They had been together for thousands of years, but for the past few years, the Goddess had been giving him the cold shoulder. Even after he killed Adonis all those centuries ago, Aphrodite had only been angry at him for one day; Ares just couldn't figure out what he did wrong. Something must have happened to make his lover completely avoid him, and not understanding the reason behind it made Ares want to go on a rampage.

_'Where the fuck are you, Dite?!'_ cried the God of War angrily inwardly, his fiery eyes melting his sunglasses.

He hadn't gotten laid by the Goddess of Love for over six years and he was seriously missing it. She was the most beautiful woman in existence and no one else could compare to her. Ares had a serious case blue-balls and he knew only one Goddess would satisfy him.

Now if only he could remember where she was six years ago; which one of her human lovers was she with six years ago. The God of War had a feeling that the Love Goddess was still with that same human, and that just didn't sit well with him.

_'When I find that human I'll rip him to shreds!'_

"EROS!" cried Ares as loud as he could for his son with Aphrodite. "Come help me, I need to find your mom!"

* * *

**The End!**

**Sorry for the boring chapter, but its purpose is to mainly illustrate the blooming bonds between the girls and their mothers. The next chapter is about Halloween and will probably come out on Halloween. XD**

**Just a note here: Naruto will eventually remember his lost memories and powers.**

**PS: the collaboration account I share with SoulReaperCrewe is called "Maelstrom of Olympia". We will be posting our new story soon, and it will be called "Higher Existence".**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	10. Dreamland

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 10**

* * *

With the latest new of Percy being a son of Poseidon and the disturbing thought of Sally being a lover of the God of the Seas, Naruto thought the gathering would have been awkward and uncomfortable, but he was wrong. Everything was back to normal and the immortals were being just as cheerful and happy as before – Artemis had eaten another fifty cookies. Even Athena, who was the most angry when she found out about Percy being Poseidon's son, was once again chatting with Annabeth – though Naruto did notice that she was trying to isolate her daughter from Percy.

_'I guess Athena and Poseidon really do hate each other.'_

Then came the real highlight of the day: costume shopping. Every year, Naruto would bring his girls to the small little costume shop near their home, and it was no different this year, except for the fact that he walked into the crowded store with five breathtakingly beautiful women. The moment Naruto and his company walked into the store, almost everyone stopped to stare at them. Some of the wives in the store immediately glared at their husbands for staring. It was already troublesome when Artemis and Hestia walked in – they had attracted every man's attention with their stunning beauty – but because they were so eye-catching, every single person noticed Athena and Rhea when they stepped in after. As if the men in the store weren't jealous enough, Aphrodite skipped into the store with her gorgeous smile – at that moment Naruto could feel the amazement of the normal people.

"Okay!" chirped Rhea as she smiled at the group, "Let's find some costumes!"

Naruto was still trying to regain his composure when everyone divided themselves into groups and headed off around the store.

"Dite, the princesses are over here!" cried Lacy as she basically dragged her new favorite person into the princess section.

Aphrodite happily followed her daughter and giggled at her, "Oh, these are so cute!"

"Come on, Seaweed Brain!"

Percy rolled his eyes at Annabeth and ran after her, "What's the rush, Wise Girl?!" Sally and Athena were following their children with the latter's mind trying to figure out ways to separate the Sea Spawn from her daughter – Percy looked far too much like Poseidon for her liking. "Ohh, I like this Aquaman one!"

Yes, definitely far too much like Poseidon.

"Tia, you'd look adorable in this!" Rhea had dragged Hestia and Artemis into the farthest section of the store and something caught her eye. "And it's perfect for your innocent and warm look."

"Mother, I may sometimes use my child-form, but this is a little too childish." Hestia held up a Little Red Riding Hood costume and sighed. "You have to remember that I'm your eldest child; I'm even older than Hades." The last time Hestia saw her brother, he looked like he aged ten thousand years, and it made her feel old.

"Nonsense, you'd look great in it!" Rhea turned to Artemis, "Don't you think so, Arty?"

"I think Aunt Hestia might be more suitable with this!" The Huntress held up a cosplay of Azula, from Avatar the Last Air Bender with a small smile. "She does have absolute control over fire and can be pretty scary when she glares at you."

Hestia frowned, "I am not scary…"

Artemis smirked and shook her head, "Last time Boreas came to report to Father with Khione, she deliberately hid outside of the throne room because you were attending the Hearth inside. I saw her sneaking glances at you and shivering when your power flared as you tended the hearth."

Rhea laughed and nodded, "Sweetie, as much as everyone loves you, you are extremely powerful and can be very scary when you want to."

"Well I don't do it on purpose…" mumbled Hestia as she accepted the Azula costume.

Naruto sat back with his travel mug of coffee and just watched his friends and family run around the store. It was great to see such harmony between his little girls and their mothers and aunts. Even sitting down at the edge of the store Naruto could hear Lacy's laughter and Annabeth occasionally yelling at Percy. Even the other Goddesses' laughter could be heard from where he was; he almost gave a chuckle when he noticed Rhea and Artemis drag Hestia into one of the dressing rooms. He could only wonder how within a few days, his life could have changed so much. All of a sudden, the mothers of his children were back into his life and decided to bond with their daughters – a wish Naruto had hoped would come true for a long time.

"Daddy!" cried his little girl as she ran towards him wearing an adorable blue princess costume with a silvery tiara on her head. "What do you think?!"

"You look adorable, sweetie." Naruto hugged his daughter to his chest and kissed her lovingly on the forehead, making her giggle.

"She certainly does!" Naruto looked up and was momentarily stunned to see Aphrodite wearing her own princess costume, which failed her hide her beauty as a goddess. Hers was pink instead of blue, but was basically the same design as Lacy's, and her tiara was gold instead of silver. Though just like many of the adult versions of costumes, it revealed an alluring amount of cleavage, and it was making Naruto a little excited. "She's much cuter than any of the Disney princesses we see on television."

Lacy smiled at her mother happily, "Doesn't Dite look amazing!"

"Yes, absolutely gorgeous…"

The Goddess smiled and kissed Naruto on his cheek, "You're so sweet!"

Lacy giggled at the interactions between her daddy and her new favorite lady, "Kissy, kissy!"

Naruto smiled at Lacy and lifted her into his arms. "Okay, let's go see if your sister is finished with her costume."

"I'm finished!"

Annabeth and Athena stepped out of their dressing rooms and walked up to Naruto and Lacy. It was an adorable sight; even Aphrodite smiled when she saw them. The mother and daughter were both wearing the same costume: Lady Liberty. Annabeth was grinning ear-to-ear as she held the plastic torch on her hand, waving it at her dad and sister. Athena just smiled down at her daughter, looking regal and elegant in the costume – it was as if she was Lady Liberty herself.

Oh, if only they knew.

"You two are adorable!" exclaimed Aphrodite with a happy smile. "If Annabeth had dark hair, you two could be twins!"

Athena smiled proudly and patted her daughter's shoulder, "Yep."

Naruto chuckled and patted the spiky hat of Annabeth's costume, making her giggle up at him, "Great choice in the costume, Annie!" He had read that some people say that the Statue of Liberty was based on the Goddess Athena, so it was just perfect for Annabeth.

"You should see Percy's costume," said Annabeth with a giggle.

"I still think it's awesome, Wise Girl!"

"Sure it is, honey." Sally, wearing a mermaid costume, smiled at her son who was having a blast wearing an Aquaman costume with a built-in seahorse. She couldn't blame her son for his slight obsession with the ocean – he was just being his father's son. It only made things more interesting when the costume came with a golden trident; Sally smiled, if only Poseidon could see Percy at that moment. "The seahorse thing is pretty poorly made, but the Trident looks good!"

Naruto smiled and nodded, "I do like the Trident."

Athena sighed, "Just like Barnacle Beard…" she whispered under her breath.

Aphrodite smiled at the scene and shook her head fondly, _'If that boy starts wearing Hawaiian shirts, I would start laughing.'_

"Oh, you all look so cute!"

Rhea walked up to the ground wearing a Fairy Godmother costume and happily smiled at her granddaughter, great-granddaughter, grandson, step-daughter and step-granddaughter. It was hilarious how they all managed to dress up in a way that reflected their domains and how the parents and children all dressed up in the same themes. The Mother of the Gods was seriously starting to adore Halloween and might actually plan something for it next year so the other gods could participate – she could already see herself forcing Zeus to dress up as Thor.

"The girls are absolutely adorable!" Rhea turned back to Artemis and Hestia, "Look at them; that little princess dress and little Lady Liberty dress."

Hestia, actually wearing the Azula costume, smiled and nodded. "They do, especially with Thea and Dite wearing the same things."

"We shouldn't be too surprised that Thea chose Lady Liberty to wear…" Artemis, dressed as Katniss from the Hunger Games, smiled and gave her sister a wink. "I heard somewhere that it was based off this Greek Goddess, and you know Thea, always obsessed with Athena."

"Yeah, I know, right?" added Aphrodite.

"Ha, Ha…" replied Athena dryly. "Just like how you are addicted to shooting people with arrows."

"Only bad men, sister." Artemis smirked as she crossed her arms – if she was in the Hunger Games everyone else would be doomed.

"Okay, we're done now, right?" asked Naruto as he started his way to the register.

"Oh no, we're not."

"What do you mean?" asked the man as he looked back at Aphrodite.

The Love Goddess grabbed her lover's arm and pulled him back, "We still have to find a costume for you!" She grinned as Naruto gulped at the expression on his lover's face; the last time he saw such a playful look on her face, he ended up giving her a striptease in the bedroom.

"It's okay; I still have my old vampire costume at home!"

"Oh, screw that Empousai-wannabe!" Aphrodite giggled as she dragged Naruto over to the men's section. "We're going to find you something cool for tonight!" Ignoring the pleas of her lover, Aphrodite's eyes gleamed as she scanned all the costumes on the racks – particularly the sexy ones. "Where are the sexy policemen costumes?!"

Hestia and Sally looked scandalized as Athena glared at her rival, "Dite, there're children here!" She marched up to them and yanked Naruto over to her side, "Let's just get him someone normal; we don't want to scar the girls for life!"

"How is a nice set of Spartan armor going to scar them?!"

"Just get him the astronaut costume over there!"

"No, I want to see some skin!"

"You're disgusting!"

"Oh, like _you_ don't want to!"

"Shut up, you dumb pile of foam!"

"Why don't you go weave a basket and leave us alone, Minerva?!"

"I won't let you ruin his image!"

Naruto's arms were starting to hurt, but he was much more concerned about bewildered expressions on his daughters' faces. Lacy had a confused smile on her face; she was obviously too young to really understand the situation, but she was happy about her daddy being so close to the two pretty ladies, especially Dite. Annabeth, on the other hand, clearly had a much more calculative stare. Her grey eyes were hiding her thoughts, but Naruto could tell that his daughter was running her amazing brain as fast as she could to deduce the situation, and it was very unnerving.

He knew he had to stop the struggle, but it was near impossible. There was no good outcome – if he told Aphrodite to stop first, she would be mad, and the same would happen if he had told Athena. Therefore, Naruto did the only possible good course of action: he looked over at Lady Hestia and Lady Rhea for help.

"Okay, that's enough!" Surprisingly, it was Artemis who stopped the bickering Goddesses. "We are in the middle of a store, and the two of you are embarrassing us!" She glared at the other two Goddesses and held her plastic bow tighter, "So shut up and just let the man choose his own costume!"

Naruto chuckled at the expression of embarrassment on Athena's face as she looked away; clearly she had expected to act in such a way in public. Aphrodite, on the other hand, just huffed and glared back at Artemis.

"It's okay, daddy!" Lacy ran up to her daddy and pulled him along by the hand. "I'll choose a costume for you!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Annabeth just knew her sister would choose something ridiculous for their dad and she didn't need that extra embarrassment. "_I'm_ going to choose one for dad!"

"No, you're too boring!" cried Lacy as she pulled her daddy along.

Annabeth pulled him back and tried to kick Lacy away, "I'm not going to let you embarrass us again!"

Artemis groaned and rubbed her temples, "This is going to take a while."

Rhea was laughing as Hestia kept shooting her stern stares; it had been a very long time since the Mother of the Gods had so much fun. It was utterly adorable to see the interactions between the Goddesses and their daughters, especially when it comes to Naruto. That young man certainly made their eternally fighting family, very interesting and entertaining. Rhea had half a mind to record the scene for Apollo – she had a feeling that it'd be very successful as a sitcom.

All the while, Percy looked at his favorite male role-model and shook his head with a terrified look on his face – girlfriends were scary and they like to push people around.

_'The other boys at school may be right; girls are just so troublesome.'_

* * *

It had been perhaps the longest day Naruto had ever experienced. When night had finally arrived, Naruto felt as if a whole year had passed. His body was aching and his mind was exhausted; trying to remain neutral between Aphrodite and Athena had thoroughly rendered his brain into a dried heap. Even at dinner, the two Goddesses had been glaring at each other with him in between them, and Naruto actually felt sparks on energy shooting from their eyes. Even with a bowl of steaming ramen in front of him, he had a hard time eating with his nerves being constantly plucked. It was perhaps even worse after dinner, when the Goddesses all came back to his home to watch a Halloween movie. Percy and Sally, along with Annabeth and Lacy were fine and oblivious, but it was a little hard for Naruto to enjoy the movie when Athena was busy glaring at him for hugging Aphrodite around her waist the whole time.

But finally, after an entire day of silent politics, he was back into his bedroom – his original bedroom – alone.

It would appear that without Aphrodite present, Naruto's bedroom would revert back to its original form. He was a little delighted; he loved having his room transformed into a romantic candle-lit haven, but without his lover present, it was a little redundant. Nonetheless, he could finally have a moment to himself inside his personal fortress of solitude…

"Daddy!"

Naruto eyes snapped open as he was just about to succumb to Hypnos' domain. "Yes, princess?" he asked, rubbing his eyes trying to stay awake; his silk pajamas felt amazingly warm against the crisp and soft sheets.

Lacy opened his door and wasted no time before she jumped onto his bed. "I'm scared…" she muttered as she bit her lip, hugging her favorite teddy bear close. "I can't sleep in my room; the shadow of the tree outside looks scary."

Naruto gave a small chuckle; he knew _The Poltergeist _was too frightening of a movie to watch. "It's okay, sweetie, you can sleep here tonight."

The girl smiled and quickly hugged her daddy, "Thanks daddy, I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie…" mumbled the father as he closed his eyes and fell back onto his pillow.

Lacy snuggled up next to her daddy and rested her head on his shoulder, her loose blonde hair slightly tickling his face, making him adjust her position. He opened his arms and pulled his baby girl close, holding her protectively in his arms; the blanket fell warmly on the father and daughter. Naruto kissed the top of Lacy's head with his eyes closed, making sure to make his baby girl feel as safe and secure as possible – a task he had never failed to do ever since his daughters had been born. After all, making the children feel safe was the sole most important responsibility of any parent.

Lacy smiled and rubbed her face against her daddy's arm, "Good night daddy."

"Good night, my little prin-"

"Dad…" came the small voice of Annabeth.

Naruto smiled and looked up to see his eldest peeking through the door, the light of the hallway seeping inside the room, enough for him to see Annabeth biting her lips. The one thing that his eldest was different from his youngest: Annabeth was prideful, even to her father, a trait of her that Naruto had grown used to. But he would never fail making sure that Annabeth knew that she would never have to be prideful to him and that he would always see her as the perfect daughter.

He sat up a little with a smile, "What is it, princess?"

"I-I found a spider in my room." She sounded shaky, and Naruto sat up fully to look at her, "It was c-crawling on my bed and almost touched my arm."

"Come here, Annie." He opened his arms and Annabeth wasted no time to jump onto the bed, finding comfort in her parent's embrace. Naruto hugged his daughter closer and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back to sooth her fears as much as possible. "You can sleep here tonight too; no spiders will come in here." He smiled and ruffled her princess curls, "I will squash every single one of them before they can scare my little princess."

Lacy smiled and hugged her sister's arm, "I will help daddy squash those things!"

"Thanks, Lace," said Annabeth with a smile to her baby sister.

"Here, Lucky will help you sleep," said the youngest Namikaze as she handed her sister the teddy bear in her arms. "I'm not scared anymore; you can use Lucky now."

Annabeth hugged Lacy and kissed her cheek, "Okay, I'll use Lucky."

Naruto smiled at his two little babies and patted both their heads. "Okay, it's late and we have a fun day ahead of us tomorrow, so let's get some sleep." He lifted Lacy and placed her on the left side of the bed; Annabeth remained on the right side. He patted down his spare pillows for them and rested down himself, allowing his daughters to snuggle up to his sides. He held both of them with his arms and pulled them close, relived to know that he could still keep them safe and secure. That was his job as their father: to keep them feeling safe and happy.

"Good night, girls," he whispered as he closed his eyes, "I love you."

"Love you too, daddy."

"Love you, dad."

* * *

Rhea smiled beautifully at the end of her dinner table as she watched her family enjoy dinner together. Artemis was the most adorable; the huntress had a perpetual smile on her face as she continued to refill her plate with Hestia's Shepard's Pie and Rhea's calamari. It was endearing for Rhea to see her little granddaughter enjoy her food so much; Artemis may act very mature and serious at most times, but she was still a little Goddess at heart; Rhea loved Artemis even more for it.

Hestia sipped on her glass of nectar as she smiled at her little niece, "Good thing I made several more portions tonight."

Artemis blushed a little, but smiled at her aunt, "It's really good, Aunt Hestia."

Rhea smiled again at her daughter and granddaughter, but then turned her attention to the other two Goddesses at the table. The Mother of the Gods couldn't help but sigh at the sight of Athena and Aphrodite, both silent and in a daze. Ever since morning, Love and War had been going for each other's throats and it only made sense that they were finally tired.

"Athena, are you sure you don't want seconds?" asked Hestia with a loving smile, "Artemis is going to finish everything soon."

Artemis huffed as Athena shook her head, "I'm fine, thank you, Aunt Hestia."

Rhea pursed her lips, "Are you feeling okay, Athena?"

"Yes, I'm just a little tired."

The Goddess of Wisdom rested back fully on her chair and crossed her arms, her grey eyes as bright and intimidating as ever. Her grandmother's and aunt's delicious food aside, she had more important issues to think about. Based on the past twelve hours she had spent with Naruto and Annabeth, she had deduced that Aphrodite was clearly ahead in their competition for Naruto's affection. From when they were cooking, to carving pumpkins, to the costume shopping, and during the movie, Naruto would always pay much more attention to Aphrodite. Whether it be a simple smile or a gently touch to their arm, Naruto would always be focused on the Love Goddess, and Athena was getting seriously angry.

_'Is she winning purely because she is sleeping with him, or is there some other reason?'_

Aphrodite, on the other hand, was also having similar thoughts.

_'So far so good; Naruto is still much more affectionate with me even when Athena is around.'_ Aphrodite closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek, _'But I still have to be careful; I can clearly tell that Naruto is attracted to Athena and she was still the one who met and fell in love with him first. They both bonded before I even met Naruto; no matter what, Athena will be my most serious competition.'_ The Love Goddess almost scoffed at the thought, _'Who would have thought that the owl-virgin would be my biggest competition?' _

"Aphrodite?"

"Huh?" asked the Love Goddess as she was broken out of her stupor. "Sorry, what was that, Hestia?"

The Goddess of the Hearth smiled, "I asked if you wanted more nectar."

"No, thanks," replied Aphrodite, standing from her seat. "I'm going to put away my things before turning in for the night." She smiled at Rhea and Hestia as she walked away, "Thanks for the awesome dinner, Hestia, Mother Rhea."

"You're very welcome, sweetie." Rhea smiled knowingly as the Goddess walked away, wondering if Athena would catch on soon.

"I must turn in as well; have a good night, everyone," said Athena as she too walked away.

_'Hmm, she's more attentive than I thought,'_ inwardly mused Rhea.

Rhea's new home was built almost exactly like Naruto's home next door, but was a little bigger. It had one master bedroom and three secondary bedrooms. Aphrodite and Athena had both called dibs on two of them for themselves – they needed a base of operations for their plans. Athena may be the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy, but Aphrodite, with eons of experience in love, wasn't exactly less competent when creating plans to steal Naruto's heart. The game was on and War and Love were clashing head on.

Slamming the door to her room, Aphrodite grinned as she snapped her fingers. A skimpy Jessica the Rabbit costume appeared in her hands; she softly laughed as she imagined the look on Naruto's face when she would teleport into their bedroom wearing it. With another snap of her fingers, the costume enveloped her perfect curves and she grinned at the result.

"Perfect!"

"What are you doing?"

Aphrodite glared over at her door, where Athena stood with her arms crossed. The Wisdom Goddess had a stern expression on her face as she glared at her rival, silently threatening her with pain. Athena knew Aphrodite was up to something when she noticed that the pile of foam was the last to leave the store; she'd thought the Love Goddess had bought something in secret, and she found the proof now.

"You can knock, you know?"

Athena scoffed, "Just answer the question."

Aphrodite merely smiled and winked at her rival, "I'm merely keeping my promise."

"And what promise is that?" asked Athena with an edge in her voice, wondering if the slutty costume was of Naruto's request.

"I promised Naruto I'd seduce him _every night_." Aphrodite smirked and crossed her arms under her impressive breasts, smiling wider as she enjoyed the angered look on Athena's face. "We had an amazing night of passion yesterday, and I can't wait to get into his pants again~"

"Shut up!" cried Athena, "Don't talk about him like he's some boy-toy!"

"Husband, the love of my life, and boy-toy are not necessarily mutually exclusive, Athena." Aphrodite smacked her lips together and fixed some of her makeup as she spoke, "I love Naruto more than anything, and it is precisely why the sex is so amazing." She smiled at the slightly flushed Athena, "Believe me when I say this: sex is infinitely better when your partner is someone you truly love."

Images of Naruto making passionate love to her filled Athena's mind – her brilliant and incredibly descriptive mind – and she couldn't help but blush.

"Not that you would ever know."

Feeling particularly competitive, Athena spoke up. "I'll have you know that I am still the woman Naruto fell in love with first; I was the one who gave him is first child." Aphrodite scoffed, but couldn't help but sound a little jealous. "Don't assume that just because of your domain and experience your love for Naruto outclasses mine. I know that I've never fell in love like this before, but it doesn't make it any less powerful!"

"Hmm, interesting," muttered Aphrodite as she stepped closer to Athena. "I've never seen you like this before…what happened between you and Naruto?" Athena stepped back as the Love Goddess narrowed her eyes at her, as if she was peering into her mind. "Simple bonding of the mind doesn't give such powerful emotions, so you must have done something physical together." Athena was backed against the wall and Aphrodite stepped right up to her face, leaving a mere inch between their faces. "What did you do?"

Athena refused to be defeated and steeled her gaze, "I gave Naruto my first kiss."

"That's cute," whispered Aphrodite, her hypnotizing powers on full blast as she stared into Athena's eyes. "But unless you give him your virginity, you will never defeat me. I have absolute control over love and lust, and while as a fellow Goddess, it is much harder for me to affect you, nothing is stopping me from affecting Naruto."

Athena glared at her harshly, "How dare you mess with his mind?!"

"Oh, I didn't mess with his mind at all; I will never betray the trust he has for me by conjuring fake feelings." Aphrodite leaned closer to Athena, making her incredible uncomfortable, "But I will use my powers to connect our feelings together; our mutual love will resonate and amplify infinitely, and with my control over lust and how I am his perfect beauty personified, I will always be his number one."

"No matter what you say, I know for a fact that Naruto loves me." Athena smirked, "And you know that too, don't you?" The Wisdom Goddess stood tall and her grey eyes glowed with incredible power as she glared at her rival, "No matter how hard you try or how much power you use, you will never rid his feelings for me from his heart." Aphrodite glared back as Athena's smirk grew, "With eons of experience with war, I know better than anyone that even with slim chances, victory is possible, and I will not lose to you!"

Aphrodite smiled, "We'll see about that."

"You will see; I promise you, Aphrodite!"

"Okay, well, you have a good night; I'm going to Naruto's and _my_ bedroom and I'm going to bang his brains out," She winked at Athena and snapped her fingers, "See ya!" The Love Goddess vanished in a puff of pink smoke and left behind a trailing scent of perfume.

Athena gritted her teeth and stomped the ground, "Oh, no you don't!"

* * *

The Wisdom Goddess wasted no time teleporting herself to the home next door. She couldn't sense Aphrodite's presence, which only meant that the Lady of Doves had masked her power and aura, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where she was. Quickly appearing in the hallway outside of the master bedroom, Athena almost tore the door apart as she stormed into the room, determined to not let Aphrodite take advantage of her future-husband.

"Aphrodit-"

"Shush!" Athena was immediately greeted with the sight of Aphrodite glaring at her with a finger on her lips, but then she saw the scene before her, and she couldn't help but soften greatly at the sight. "They're sleeping."

Annabeth and Lacy were snuggled up to their father's side and were peacefully sleeping the night away. Athena couldn't help but smile at how at peace and calm Annabeth looked with her dad's arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Even little Lacy made Athena's heart flutter; the little girl rested on her side and had her legs perched on Naruto's chest, almost sleeping horizontal on the bed, though her head was still resting on Naruto's arm. They looked far too peaceful and Athena didn't have the heart to disturb them.

But Aphrodite didn't mind.

"What in Hades' name are you doing?"

Aphrodite ignored her rival and continued to lift up the blanket on the left side of the bed before climbing in. She had changed back onto a simple silk nightie and she happily rested her head on Naruto's extended left arm as she hugged Lacy to her chest. It felt amazingly cozy and peaceful; never had she thought about cuddling with her baby daughter and her husband like a real family – it felt incredible.

"Goodnight, Athena~"

Athena almost growled at the taunt, but she decided to take the challenge. She snapped her fingers and changed into her usual nightgown; she lifted the blankets on the right side of the bed and climbed in, ignoring the glare Aphrodite was giving her. But her competitiveness was quickly overwhelmed by nervousness. Her head was resting on Naruto's arm – she had never been so close and intimate with him before and her heart was racing. The blush on growing uncontrollably on her face, but she did notice how great it felt. Even though the bed was far too small for five people, having her little daughter so close felt nice. For the first time in her immortal life, Athena held one of her children close like a real mother, and rested against her love like a real wife – it felt really good.

"Goodnight, Aphrodite."

Athena gently wrapped her arms around Annabeth and kissed the top of her head, feeling more motherly than she had ever before. Annabeth was so much like her, it made Athena really proud, and the subtle hint of Naruto's quirks in her daughter made it all the better. The love of family was truly amazing, now Athena could understand why Hera would desire it so much.

_'Goodnight, my little Annabeth; goodnight, my love.'_

As Athena closed her eyes, thinking that she had proven equal to her rival's challenge, Aphrodite smirked victoriously. Over the years, she had really learnt how to squeeze time in-between lovers, and even though those days were behind her, the tricks she had gathered could still be very useful. With one swift tap on Naruto's forehead, Aphrodite closed her eyes, allowing herself to dwell into Hypnos' domain.

_'I was going to save this for the honeymoon, but desperate times call for desperate measures.'_ The Goddess smiled as she embraced her baby daughter, wondering what her lover was dreaming about, hoping that it was her. _'Let's find out…'_

* * *

_'Whoa, what is this?'_

Instead of a sexy hotel suite or fancy restaurant, Aphrodite found herself on the roof of some sort of round building. It was tall – she could tell from the high wind blowing through her hair – and it was overlooking some sort of village. The air was clean and clear – no pollution whatsoever – and there was a sort of energy around the whole place that felt familiar, a sensation that she had felt many thousands of years ago.

Then she noticed one man standing at the edge of the building. He was wearing some sort of combat vest under a long white jacket with red flames licking the bottom of it – it looked good on the man. Then she finally realized that the man was Naruto, her lover.

"Naruto?" she asked out loud.

Naruto turned around and Aphrodite was taken aback. Instead of her lover's usual innocent and loving gaze, she was met with the cold and calculative gaze of a seasoned warrior – one that reminded her of Zeus or Poseidon.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice nothing like the one she was used to.

"It's me, Aphrodite…" The Goddess stepped closer to Naruto and he kept a curious gaze on her, but slightly flinched when she touched his face. "Don't you recognize me, Naruto?" She bit her lip and looked into his oddly intimidating eyes, "You are Naruto, right?"

The man nodded, "Yes, my name is Namikaze Naruto, the Nanadaime Hokage."

* * *

**The End!**

**Sorry for the delayed update, but University has really been kicking my ass and I had little to no time to write. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the little plot twist at the end. :)****  
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**PS: CrystalClear007 had started a Reading Story of this story and I personally think it is very well done. Please check it out if you have the chance.**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD**


	11. Hokage

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 11**

* * *

Naruto had always been able to make Aphrodite feel and safe and relaxed – it was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He had a warm and loving aura that was not unlike Rhea and Hestia, but was much more affectionate and passionate; it wasn't familial, but romantic. His blue eyes, as innocent and vibrant as diamonds, would melt her heart with their fervent gaze, and his soft kisses made her shiver in ecstasy. Everything about Naruto would make Aphrodite's heart flutter and assure her that he was the one man destined to her with her for eternity.

But the man standing in front of her didn't have a _single_ one of those attributes.

"I'll ask again," his voice was icy and cold, nothing like the warm and affectionate tone she was used to, "Who are you?" The goddess pulled her hand back and stepped away slightly, "I have no memory of anyone with such an unorthodox name."

Aphrodite bit her lip, "You don't remember me at all?"

"No recollection whatsoever, but it is interesting to find someone in this place who could sneak up behind me." His expression was stoic and his body language suggested doubt and alertness, as if he was staring down at an enemy. "The other people who appear in this place usually show themselves in front of me; never do they try to surprise me."

"What other people?" asked the Goddess of Love, not really interested in any other people, but was trying to keep the conversation progressing so she would have more time to think.

Naruto crossed his arms, his flak jacket wrapped tightly across his chest as his white Haori blew in the wind, "The random fragments of old memories, haunting me in this void of an existence." He exhaled softly and narrowed his eyes, "Though you are the first one who acts so causelessly." Aphrodite was confused as he continued, "Aren't you supposed to chatter on about some random subject as if we'd just run into each other on the streets?"

_'This…this is Naruto's mindscape, the place where his deepest memories are stored.'_ Aphrodite had overheard Dionysus and Apollo discussing such terms when they decided to inflict a new form of madness onto the world, _'This man and his fragments must be Naruto's lost memories from before his accident when he was sixteen.'_

"So?" asked the man with a raised eyebrow.

_'How come this never happened when I tried to reach into his consciousness before?'_ Aphrodite frowned as she looked up at her lover, _'Is this realm only accessible during dreams?'_ She decided to fish for more information. "Do you remember the people who appeared before you?"

The man leaned back against the railing of the building, as if he was intrigued. "Well, there was the man with red eyes with strange black patterns, the woman with pink hair and green eyes, the man with one eye covered, and the woman with blank white eyes." Aphrodite nodded along as he spoke, "They usually just appear next to me and start talking, as if we'd been having a conversation for a long time." He rubbed his head and closed his eyes, "They are merely parts of my lost memories, coming back in flashes, like haunting apparitions." He opened and stared at Aphrodite with his cold blue eyes, "In fact, you are the only one who had remained intact so long."

"I am not an apparition; I am real." Aphrodite stepped closer to the man and felt a little hurt when he appeared to tense up, "I am a part of your new memories, your new life."

"A new life?" he muttered rhetorically, "There is no such thing."

"Yes there is!" cried the goddess loudly, "You have a life outside of this place, where you have your own little candy store, and your own home. You have two little daughters, Lacy and Annabeth, and you love them more than anything!" Tears started to well in her eyes as she continued to tell Naruto about his real life, "You are obsessed with ramen and would always take the girls to this place on 5th Avenue; you love to watch Disney movies with them; you always read them bedtime stories before bed and would sing lullabies for them if they can't sleep." She brushed the tears from her eyes, not caring if her makeup was ruined, "And you have me! I love you, Naruto, and you told me you love me too! We promised to share the rest of our lives together!"

The Hokage frowned at the woman's tears and started to lower his guard, "Regardless of what you say and even if such a life is true, I cannot perceive it." He sighed and turned around, facing his village with melancholy. "I am cursed to remain here, in this empty maze of a village, destined to only witness fragments of my old life as only glimpses."

Aphrodite sniffled and cleared her eyes as she looked out at the village herself. _'What is this?'_ she pondered as she stepped closer to the railings and peered down, _'Its…empty.'_

It was as she said: the entire village – a place the size of Manhattan Island – was void of life. All the buildings looked new and fully operational, but were empty and blank. All the billboards and brand names above the stores were blank. She noticed that the several fountains around the village still had clean and clear water sprouting from them; the roads were perfectly clean, and the trees and grass around the village would make Demeter proud. It was a perfect little village, but there was no one living in it – besides Naruto that is. Then she looked up and saw some sort of mountain that looked like Mount Rushmore, but had seven faces. The strange thing was that the first six faces were blank – they were just round protrusions coming out of the mountain – and the seventh face was that of Naruto's. From his spiky hair and round face, everything was on the mark.

"This is my only reality." Naruto sounded…defeated. His voice was getting weaker and more depressed, "As much as I want the life you said I have, I am condemned to remain here."

"You do have a life like I said." Aphrodite reached for his hand, and ignored the slight flinch he had when his laced her fingers together with his. "_I'm_ right here, aren't I?"

Naruto looked down at the beautiful woman and felt oddly warm in her presence, his eyes losing some of its coldness.

The goddess reached up for his cheek again with his tears still welling in her eyes, "I am real, Naruto, and I'm not just going to disappear like the other people. I can come here anytime I want. You aren't alone in this place; I'll be here for you, I promise."

"Why would you do this for me?"

Aphrodite leaned up and gently kissed her lover softly on the cheek, "Because I love you, Naruto." The goddess now understood that the blankness of the village was most likely due to the loss of Naruto's memories and if he would regain his past, his mindscape would regain its fullness. "And I want to help you."

The Hokage's hands slowly rested on her hips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "You…You said your name is Aphrodite, right?"

"That's right," she whispered softly and lovingly, "You better remember it."

"I will…" Suddenly, the entire village started to fade and shake. Aphrodite's eyes widened as Naruto stepped away, a soft and small smile on his face. "I look forward to seeing you again, Aphrodite. Perhaps with you, I will be able to shed light onto my past and regain my full consciousness." A bright light started to envelop everything and Naruto's image was becoming transparent, "Maybe then I would be able to remember my daughters, and you."

"You will, I promise."

Aphrodite allowed the light to fully consume the village and closed her eyes, using her power to leave the dream.

* * *

"Dite…"

The Goddess of Love's eyes snapped open and were met with a pair of azure blue eyes she was just looking at a few seconds ago, but this pair was filled with warmth and love. She refocused and found herself face to face to Naruto, the one she fell in love with. He had a smile on his face – the ones that would make her heart flutter and toes curl – and gently brushed her hair from her face and tucked the strands behind her ear.

"Good morning," he said with a sweet smile before he leaned in to lightly kiss her lips.

Aphrodite found herself short of breath as she gasped, "Naruto?"

He chuckled and kissed her again, "Who were you expecting?"

"Naruto!" she lunged at her lover and kissed him as passionate as she could, pressing herself against his chest and pushing him fully onto his back. She straddled his waist and moaned into his mouth as their tongues enjoyed their usual wrestling match. She shuddered in delight as his hands roamed her body and moaned when they reached her ass; she loved how he gently massaged her cheeks as he rubbed his pelvis against her aching womanhood.

"What's gotten into you?" he whispered as he slightly pulled away from the kiss, his lips still tickling hers. "Good dream?"

"Bad dream, horrible dream." She licked and sucked his lower lip and ran her hands over his muscular chest, "But it all turned out well."

Naruto chuckled and smothered her with short and deep kisses, "You're lucky the girls woke up so early today." He gasped for breath as he continued to enjoy his lover's lips, "They basically ran out of the room to get their stuff ready."

"Don't worry; I'm still invisible to them in these situations."

"I figured."

Aphrodite snapped her fingers and Naruto's silk pajamas disappeared from his body, leaving him as naked as the day he was born. "Did you see anyone else this morning, besides me and the girls?" Naruto just shook his head and continued to pull her nightie off; unlike her, he didn't have powers to make clothes disappear. _'I guess Athena left before Naruto could see her…'_

"We still have time before lunch," he muttered against her soft skin and resorted to kissing his way down to her breasts. "So let's make up for our lost time last night."

Aphrodite giggled and rubbed herself against her lover's mighty sword, "That's the Naruto I know."

* * *

"So…" started Artemis as she sat up on her bed, "Where were you last night, sister?"

Athena, who was in her nightgown, looked like an Empousai caught by Artemis' hunters as she appeared in the bedroom. Apparently, since Mother Rhea's new home only had four bedrooms, Artemis decided to conjure a bed next to Athena's own. The Goddess of the Moon watched Zoe drive her chariot across the sky as she waited for her sister to come back, but she fell asleep before Athena came back. Her brother's chariot was already in the sky when Athena came back, looking fully rested and happy.

"Good morning, sister…"

In her usual silver silk pajamas, Artemis smiled at Athena as she moved over to her sister's bed, taking a seat next to the Wisdom Goddess. "Is there something you want to tell me, Athena?" Her smile grew as Athena's cheeks gained a red tinge, "Like, are there still _three_ Virgin Goddess?"

"Yes, of course there is!"

Artemis couldn't but laugh at her sister's expression, "Oh I know, I'm just teasing you, sister." Athena scowled and turned away from the huntress, but Artemis just bumped her shoulders, "Come on, it's been a very long time since we've had such a relaxing weekend and I want to bond with my sister." Athena smiled at her sister and nodded, "So, do I need to shoot anybody later?"

"No, not at all," replied Athena flatly.

"But you did in fact spend the night over at his place?"

"Yes," whispered Athena with a blush, "But only because Aphrodite was going to seduce Naruto and I had to be there to stop her." She smiled softly at the memory of the previous night, "It was a good thing that when we teleported to Naruto's bedroom, Annabeth and Lacy were sharing his bed, so it was easy to stop the pile of foam." Artemis smiled at the smile on her sister's face, "It was quite a sight; the girls must have gotten scared and decided to sleep in their dad's room."

"I really like the girls," muttered the Huntress with a yawn, "If they ever want eternal life, I would gladly accept them into my hunt."

Athena smirked, "Maybe, but nonetheless, I feel good about this."

Artemis' smile vanished at the reminder, "You aren't seriously thinking about having a husband, are you?"

"Yes I am."

"Athena, need I remind you that Aunt Hestia, you and I all swore on the River Stix to never wed and to remain maidens forever." Athena sighed as her sister continued, "If you keep forcing this, you may bring upon yourself some serious consequences."

"Artemis, you've seen Father break his vow twice in the last decade and Barnacle Beard broke his vow by siring Percy Jackson, and what has happened to them?" Artemis sighed in defeat and shrugged, "Nothing, nothing bad ever happened to them." Athena smirked and crossed her arms, "And I understand that breaking such vows might affect the people around me, but I will make sure that Naruto and the girls won't get hurt at all."

"What are you going to do with Father?" Artemis gave Athena a knowing stare, "He is perhaps even more protective than Naruto when it comes to his daughters, and he'd likely smite Naruto into a pile of ashes before you could even finish telling him you want to marry him."

Athena nodded with a frown, "I know, but there are ways around it." She bit her lips and rested against the wall of her room, "I'll get grandmother and Aunt Hestia to come with me when I tell him; I'll try to get Lady Hera to help me as well since she's wanted to us to get married for thousands of years already." Artemis nodded in agreement, but then Athena gave her a look, "You're coming with me as well."

"Why me?!" exclaimed the goddess, "I don't want to be there when Father blasts the man."

"We're Father's favorite daughters, so if we were both there, it would make things a lot easier."

Artemis sighed, "Fine, but you owe me."

Athena smiled, "Don't worry, if I see any intelligent maidens at the Universities, I'll send him straight over to you." The Wisdom Goddess couldn't help but feel at peace inside her grandmother's home, sitting in bed, shoulder to shoulder, with her favorite sister, talking about the plans for the future – it almost made her feel like a normal human.

"Come on, I think grandmother and Aunt Hestia are awake already." Artemis slipped out of bed and rubbed her eyes, "If I'm right about what I smell, Aunt Hestia is cooking some pancakes downstairs, and I really want some."

The Goddess of Wisdom laughed and stood up as well, "You are such a child, sometimes."

"Nope, that's all Apollo."

* * *

The morning had been gone like a blur for Aphrodite. Even after a couple of hours of passionate and ecstatic love-making, she couldn't take her mind off of Naruto's mindscape. She didn't know nearly as much as Apollo or Dionysus, but she knew enough to deduce that what she saw wasn't normal. As she recalled Apollo saying how an average mortal's mindscape shouldn't be bigger than an average house, and it was easy for him and Dionysus to inflict a new mental disease. Naruto's mindscape was an entire village, and it perhaps extends to the gigantic forest she noticed behind the mountain. She had to accept the fact that her lover was no ordinary human; he was something more than human.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" asked Naruto, standing next to her inside their bathroom with a toothbrush in his hand.

"Nothing much, just wondering about us."

"Oh yeah?" he asked as he rinsed his mouth, "Everything good, I hope."

Aphrodite smiled and kissed his cheek, "Better than good, much better than good."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead, "That's good."

The Goddess dressed herself normally and let her mind wander back to the dream. The Naruto inside the dream had said something about being _Hokage_; she had heard that term somewhere before. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall where or when she had heard it – it might have been centuries ago. It was also strange than the Naruto inside the dream looked a little older than the one she fell in love with, but he wasn't supposed to remember anything since his sixteenth year. There were far too many questions and she seriously needed to consult with someone.

_'I don't want Athena to get any closer to Naruto, but I guess I don't have a choice now; she is the best person to talk to in these situations.'_

"Dite?"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Naruto chuckled again before kissing her cheek, "I said I heard the doorbell, so let's hurry up and get down stairs." He fixed his black shirt and laced his fingers with Aphrodite, pulling her softly with a smile, "Come on."

_'His hands feel the same…'_ she thought as she smiled back at her lover with a nod.

* * *

Trick-o-Treating had always been a very nice experience; watching his girls ran around their neighborhood, ringing on doorbells with their adorable costumes definitely were moments to remember. His camera would usually be overloaded with pictures and his home would sometimes end up with even more candy than his store – his girls were just that cute. But as fun and exciting were the Halloweens of the previous years, trick-o-treating with Rhea, the Mother of the Gods, Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt, Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy, and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Lust made the experience all the more exhilarating.

"Trick-o-Treat!" cried their group with Annabeth, Lacy and Percy standing in front.

In less than half an hour, the girls and Percy's bags were filled with all kinds of chocolate and candy – sweets not worthy of the tastes of demigods according to Aphrodite, but sweets nonetheless. In between the houses, the kids had already started trading chocolates with each other, with Percy taking all the _milk-duds _since Annabeth didn't like them. But not only the kids were having fun: Lady Artemis, in her awesome Katniss Everdeen costume, was very popular to every house they visited and received even more candy than the girls. The goddess ignored the giggles of her sister, aunt and grandmother and continued to snack of her candy – they weren't as good as Hestia's cookies, but were still okay to snack on. She was seriously enjoying Halloween, and was determined to take all her hunters to trick-o-treat the next year.

Naruto, dressed as _Ryu_ from street fighter – Athena and Aphrodite, along with Annabeth and Lacy, had finally decided on one costume – stood behind his daughters with a happy smile.

"Come on; let's go over to that cul de sac." Annabeth and Lacy grabbed hold of their dad's hands and pulled him along, making him smile at how adorable they looked in their costumes. "Not so fast; wait for Percy."

Rhea, Hestia, Sally and Artemis stood together, opening small packages of sweets from the Huntress' bag. But off to the side, Athena stood silently, looking at Aphrodite, who was oddly quiet as she stood across from her. It wasn't like Aphrodite to be so distant from the main event, especially since Naruto and Lacy were having so much fun. She noticed the Goddess of Love looking over at her apprehensively, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Okay," whispered Athena softly, away from the ears of the others, "What's wrong with you tonight."

Aphrodite glanced ahead at Naruto, who was running around with the kids, and bit her lips. She frowned and pulled Athena further to the side, trying to not appear too conspicuous – despite it being quite eye-catching with two gorgeous ladies wearing princess and Lady Liberty costumes. Athena was growing increasingly intrigued, and willfully followed her rival, wondering what was wrong with her lovesick head.

"What is it?"

Aphrodite sighed exasperatedly, "I…I infiltrated Naruto's dream last night and I saw something very strange." Athena's annoyance vanished and paid full attention, "I thought I was only going to see some normal dream, or hoping to see a sex dream with me, but I…I ended up in his mindscape."

"His mindscape?" asked Athena as her mind quickly recalled the discussion she had with Apollo regarding the complex subject. "What kind of dream was it? Normal dreams shouldn't stretch so deep into one's consciousness, and one's mindscape is the deepest part of the mind."

"It…It was a village."

"A village?" asked Athena as she glanced over at the man she loved.

"I can't explain it too well," spoke the Love Goddess in hushed tones as she kept glancing over at the others, "So come with me tonight and infiltrate his dream."

"Hold on, why are you acting so nervous?"

"For the sake of Olympus, Athena, just come with me!" Aphrodite sighed and bit her lips, "Naruto's mindscape isn't normal; I remember Dionysus and Apollo saying how a normal mindscape shouldn't be bigger than a normal house, but Naruto's is the size of a small city!" Athena grew concerned and stepped closer to her rival, "It's not only that – there is another Naruto inside his head! He says he's some kind of _Hokage_ and is the leader of this village; he seems to suffer from amnesia as well and can't remember anything from his life, even Annabeth and Lacy!"

Athena frowned and crossed her arms, "There shouldn't be another consciousness in the mindscape…" She closed her eyes in thought, "And I assume you're saying that this has something to do with his amnesia and accident ten years ago." Aphrodite nodded with a small hum, "This is certainly very odd."

"He-He acts very different from the Naruto we love; it's his eyes…they look cold and defeated." Aphrodite tugged on Athena's sleeve and looked into her concerned grey eyes, "He is nothing like the Naruto we know, but I can tell that he is the same person; his hands feel the same, his face is the same, and his voice is just as it sounds. It's just that…he doesn't seem like a normal modern human; he reminds me of an ancient hero, not unlike Perseus or Odysseus."

The Wisdom Goddess pursed her lips, "So he looks like a warrior?"

"Yeah, he has the eyes of a predator and seemed strong, like some sort of…god."

"Alright, we have to go check this out." Athena nodded and patted the worried goddess' arm, "We'll both go into his dream tonight."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" asked Rhea as she called over at the younger immortals. "Come back over here; the kids are already at the next block." She smiled and started to pull the two Goddesses by the hand. "And Arty is short on candy already, so we need to get more!"

Athena nodded, "Coming, grandmother."

Aphrodite remained silent and kept her eyes locked onto Naruto, who was being dragged along by the girls and Percy. She almost couldn't believe the sweet and loving man with the innocence of a boy could possess such a complex and warlike mindscape. The Lady of Doves could only hope that Athena would be able to explain the whole thing and prove that their love was just fine.

Lacy looked back and waved at Aphrodite with a bright grin, "Dite, come on!"

Aphrodite smiled at her daughter and ran ahead, "Coming, sweetie!"

* * *

"Alright, are you ready to do this?" asked Athena as she glanced over at Aphrodite.

The Goddess of Love nodded, "Yes, let's hurry this up."

It was painfully slow to wait for the end of the night, but having fun with their girls made it easier. Nonetheless, Aphrodite was nervous about seeing Naruto's mindscape again; the more she thought about it the more she was afraid she'd lose her Naruto. She didn't want her lover to turn into the man she met in the dream – she wanted to help the man in the dream turn into his present self – but she had to dig until she understood his situation. In the end, she could only hope that Naruto wouldn't change from the loving and sweet man that it was – she was looking forward to her wedding.

"Lay down…"

The girls and Percy were exhausted by the end of the night, even with all the candy they ate. Sally went home with Percy basically asleep in the car and the girls passed out the moment they stepped into their rooms. Naruto was still going quite strong and wanted to clean up before heading to bed, but Aphrodite convinced him to turn in early with a little Charmspeak – she didn't want to use his powers on him, but it was a special situation. And after Athena made some excuse for the other immortals to turn in for the night as well, they both sneaked into Naruto's room.

Aphrodite nodded and climbed onto the right side of the bed, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder and snuggled close to his warm body. She kissed his cheek and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, praying to Order and Chaos that he'd be okay in the end.

Athena slipped into the bed, just like the previous night, but since Annabeth wasn't there, she blushed harder when she rested on Naruto's shoulder. His body felt warm and comfortable against hers, but she quickly regained her composure and focused on the task at hand.

"Okay, let's go."

The two goddesses simultaneously touched Naruto's forehead and dwelled into his dream…

* * *

"So, you really came back."

As soon as Aphrodite opened her eyes she found herself standing on the same roof as before, and Naruto was looking over at her with his arms crossed and lips curled. His was still wearing the same flak jacket and long coat as before – it looked quite good on him – and it made him look quite intimidating. His silent and wary aura felt nothing like the Naruto Aphrodite had made love to just that morning, but she had faith that she could make this Naruto connect with the other one, hopefully making their memories return.

"Yes; hello again, Naruto."

"So now that you're back, can you tell me how you plan to help me?" His blond hair looked majestic as the wind blew softly between his tresses, making him appear more…godly. "Since I've met you I haven't regained any memories, but I could feel something special with you."

Aphrodite gave a small smile, "Before that, can you tell me everything you remember of yourself?" The goddess looked around and couldn't find Athena anywhere, which really troubled her. "You said you were the _Hokage_, so what exactly is that?"

Naruto leaned against the steel railing and looked serious, "_Hokage_ means Fire Shadow. In my village, everyone is taught a philosophy called the Will of Fire, the never ending faith that believes that love is the key to peace." Aphrodite's eyes widened at the mention of something that was purely her domain and personal philosophy. "It states that the entire village is like a large family unit and everyone with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect the village." Naruto smiled proudly as he spread his hands to rest on the railing, "As _Hokage_, the shadow of the fire illuminates the village, and it is my responsibility to protect the village, my loved ones, my family."

_'I guess he's more like my Naruto than I thought…'_

"I can remember that becoming _Hokage _had been a childhood dream of mine; even when I was a child I wanted to become the leader of my village."

Aphrodite smiled and nodded, "So what does it take to become _Hokage_?"

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head, much like modern-day Naruto would, "I really wish I remember more of it, but I can only remember being strongest as the requirement; being the strongest in the village."

The goddess giggled melodically, "So what, you're all fighters?"

"We're all known as-"

"Shinobi," said a sudden voice, "You're known as Shinobi."

Aphrodite's eyes widened as a tri-pronged kunai – some variant of a Japanese weapon she would see Ares and Apollo use at times – appeared in Naruto's hand in an instant as Athena suddenly stood a distance away from him on the roof. His eyes immediately turned icy cold and some sort of aura flared around him; it felt like some sort of magic, but much more potent and fiery.

"Who are you?"

Aphrodite stepped ahead, "She's Athena, another mother of your children!"

A golden helmet and spear manifested and Aphrodite watched in horror as Athena lunged at Naruto. The gleaming golden point of the spear almost punctured Naruto's jugular, but missed its mark when he side stepped – rather effortlessly from what she noticed – and was almost knocked from Athena's grasp when he slashed at it with his kunai.

"I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy!"

The Hokage readied his kunai in his right hand, but his left palm was open and some sort of blue energy gathered together. It quickly formed into a perfect circle and looked like a miniature typhoon; it radiated power and grew into the size of a basketball.

Aphrodite looked over at her rival and yelled, "What are you doing, Athena?!"

Athena ignored the Love Goddess but smirked when she saw Naruto's attack. "You can use Chakra; I was right about you." She summoned Aegis as a shield and got into her battle-stance, "You are a Shinobi, a relic stretching back to the Age of Bronze Men."

"You act like an enemy, not like a wife."

Athena stoically replied, "This is more interesting, isn't it?"

He smirked, "**Rasengan**!"

Aphrodite recoiled back as the ball of energy clashed against Athena's legendary shield. A shockwave almost pushed her off her feet and she could barely see Naruto and Athena struggling to stand their ground. The flooring of the roof cracked under the intense pressure of the clash and the entire building was shaking from the power. In the end, Athena forced Naruto back with her shield and made him jumped away, landing on the railing of the roof, crouching skillfully.

"Athena, stop!" Aphrodite ran up to the other goddess and grabbed onto her arm, "What in Hades' name are you doing?!"

Athena shrugged her off and sped over to Naruto. The Hokage quickly dashed towards Athena with his kunai and parried her spear lunge. The sounds of metal clashing against metal were heard and were getting faster and faster. Aphrodite's eyes couldn't even follow the movement of the two fighters and could only see the sparks coming from their weapons. Athena's spear looked extremely dangerous as it emitted a bright golden color, threatening to break Naruto's small kunai with every strike, but the Hokage was not relenting and was actually holding his ground.

It was at least a few minutes until the two finally decided to jump away from each other.

"STOP!" yelled Aphrodite, flaring her own power and lacing her voice with her strongest Charmspeak. "Drop your weapons and remain still!"

"Relax, Aphrodite, I am only testing my theory," muttered Athena as she stabbed her spear into the ground, shrinking her shield back into a bracelet. "And I was correct."

"What are you talking about?!"

Naruto stared at Athena with interest, "You've heard of Shinobi before?"

"Yes, it is a term used in today to describe Japanese assassins, but I still remember its original use." Athena narrowed her eyes at the man who looked exactly as the man she loved and frowned, "It is a term used to describe the warriors of the Age of Bronze, and I haven't used it in such a context for at least twenty millennia."

Aphrodite ran over to Athena and held her arm, "Tell me what's going on!"

"You should remember, Aphrodite," muttered Athena as she glanced at the other goddess. "We were still very young back then, but you should remember the Bronze Age." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he played with his kunai in his hands, "The third creation of humankind, the existence that only lasted a short while because of constant wars and conflicts."

The Love Goddess bit her lips and nodded, she had heard Ares recalling the _good old times_ many times – the Bronze Age, the third coming of man. After the perfect existence of the men made out of gold, Zeus created man from with Silver, which were failures in the eyes of the Gods. The Silver Men never grew to their full height and would suffer a long old age.

Then came the Bronze Age, the age of men made from Bronze. Ares had mentioned that these people were blessed by the Gods and had much more power than any other form of human – much more than the Men of Iron, the current breed of Humans. The Gods had hoped that these humans would be of more use, but they only became drunk in power, initiating war after war until all of them were destroyed. They had eliminated themselves through constant warfare and Aphrodite could scarcely remember hearing that their wars had poisoned the earth. Mother Gaea was furious and sent her own Champion to destroy what was left of the humans of the time; Gaea's Champion, a devastating monstrosity at the same level as Typhon, a gargantuan monster with enough power to destroy humankind and maybe even the Olympians. Aphrodite had never seen the creature, but heard that it somehow disappeared after it had annihilated the Men of Bronze.

"I haven't seen a Shinobi since I was a young Goddess, but I still remember their power, the power the God bestowed upon them, called Chakra."

Aphrodite looked over at Athena, "I thought all the Bronze Men were killed by Gaea?"

"I thought so too." Athena crossed her arms and stared down at the Hokage, "But apparently there is one right here, and he's the father of our children."

* * *

**The End!**

**BA-BA-BUMMM!**

**Damn, how's that for a cliffhanger! XD**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! I WILL UPDATE FASTER WITH MORE REVIEWS! XD**


	12. Old Loves, New Loves

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 12**

* * *

The weapons had vanished and all was silent, but the tension was no less palpable. The wind felt hot and seemed to become stronger by the second; it sent chills down Aphrodite's spine as she stared at the man in front of her. The truth of the situation was slowly dawning on her and the Hokage appeared oddly frightening to her. Naruto was not a regular human – not even close – he was something older, something ancient. The Age of Bronze Men was a very long time ago, so long that she'd barely remember it – she was only a young Goddess at the time. She had never met a man from that era, and she never thought she would. All the men from the Bronze Age had been known to be extinct.

"Athena, w-what does this mean?" muttered Aphrodite softly.

Athena crossed her arms, her eyes never once straying from Naruto. "This is certainly very surprising. I never thought I would meet someone from the ancient times in such a strange manner." She analyzed the Hokage's body language and saw no fear – he was completely calm. "The Bronze Men are supposed to be all dead; Father had searched the land before he started the creation of the Iron Men."

"Are all of the Bronze Men supposed to have this kind of power?" Aphrodite was no stranger to battles, and she knew that the skill Naruto displayed during his brief fight with Athena wasn't something a mortal human should have.

"Definitely not," replied Athena seriously. "The Bronze Men were designed to house more power compared to modern men, but not this much. They were more physically gifted and had much more stamina and strength, but in no case were the supposed to rival the gods." The Wisdom Goddess glanced at Aphrodite, "But this one is much stronger than intended."

"It's because of that _chakra_ thing, right?"

"Yes, chakra is the source of these men's power. It is the manifestation of physical energy mixed with spiritual power, and it is originated from the earth itself." Athena sighed, "It is said that Mother Gaea is the origin of this sort of power, and the gods merely mixed within a tiny portion of this power when they created the humans."

"He seems to have more than a tiny portion…"

Athena nodded, "Yes, there shouldn't be a Bronze Man with such power; I am quite surprised as well."

"While all this is very interesting and definitely helps with my boredom, but can you please explain to me the situation?" The Hokage's long Haori flapped in the wind as he stared down at the two immortals, his eyes back to being cold and calculative. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"My name is Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, Battle Strategy and Warfare, and one of the Twelve Olympians." Naruto's eyes narrowed at the introduction, but remained silent. "From what I deduced, you somehow remained hidden from the gods as time went by, and created a new life for yourself after your memory was destroyed." Aphrodite stepped closer to Athena with a frown, "And the one thing I am sure of is that you have somehow harnessed much more chakra than any of your people and managed to become an immortal."

"He can't," whispered the Love Goddess, "I've seen Naruto bleed; he has red blood."

"His power must have somehow been suppressed; that explains his amnesia and how our powers couldn't penetrate his mind." Athena bit her lip, "I think his memories are directly tied to his powers; this also explains why Naruto can defeat monsters and see through the Mist." The Goddess could only imagine how it was possible for one mortal man to have so much more. If he could clash against her with most of his powers suppressed, then he would be a match for Apollo or maybe even her Father. That shouldn't be possible, and she didn't want to believe it, but all the evidence suggested that fact.

"Lord Zeus will kill him without question." Aphrodite bit her lip and fidgeted nervously, "You know how paranoid they all are!"

"That is why we need to take care of this problem ourselves." Athena sighed, "We need to figure out how powerful he really is and monitor the progress before the others find out about him. Regardless of him being a Bronze Man, Annabeth and Lacy still need him." _'I need him as well.'_

"What are you talking about?" muttered the Hokage, his patience wearing thin.

"You are a man of the old age," spoke Athena stoically with the composure of a General, "Your time had long since passed. It is safe to say that you are aware of this, but because of your loss of memory, you just can't remember. All I can say for certain at the moment is that you have somehow lost your memories, and you split into two blank slates. The internal slate – you – retained only your instincts and small amounts of memory. The Naruto I know is the outer state, and he is a normal man who thinks himself a victim of amnesia, not some sort of ancient warrior." The Hokage crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, but didn't comment. "The outer Naruto continued to live and made a new life for himself, but since you are trapped within his deepest level of mind, you cannot perceive it."

"So what should we do?!" exclaimed a frustrated Aphrodite.

"I'm not sure…"

Silence reigned for a brief while as the two Goddesses pondered over the situation, but their attention was quickly drawn to Naruto when he sighed and turned away. His Haori flapped in the wind as he stepped up to the railing and rested his arms on the steel, his eyes staring out at his village tirelessly. Being such an empathic being, Aphrodite could feel the man's loneliness and confusion, and couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her heart – seeing Naruto in such a light was gut-wrenching.

"So…I am just a relic of the past, a man without time." Athena remained stoic as the Hokage gave a small chuckle and shook his head, "I shouldn't be too surprised. Not only have I forgotten my time, my time has forgotten about me." Naruto sighed and he looked down at the village, "But nonetheless, I feel like I still love this place, this…home. This is where I belong, no matter how empty and isolated it is. I will just have to take solace in the fact that I am all the proof I need to prove the existence of my time."

"I haven't seen such peculiar structures in many years," said Athena as she walked up next to the man. "I've admired the architecture of the Bronze Age; it is much more militaristic than even the most hostile countries nowadays, but it still had its own identity."

Aphrodite stepped up to Athena and tugged her arm, "Is there any way we can fix this?"

"Naruto," said Athena firmly, though it did feel odd calling this stranger the same name as her love, "If I ask for your trust, will you give it to me?"

The Hokage chuckled, "While I think of myself as a careful person, I hardly have anything to lose now."

The Goddess gave a curt nod, "Alright then." Athena gently placed a hand on Naruto's forehead before looking at Aphrodite, which made the Love Goddess place her hand on Naruto as well. "As the Goddess of Warfare, I am capable of dwelling into one's mind and harness any shred of memory connected to my domain. Right now the two of us will search your mind, and I think unlike the outer Naruto, it will have much more dormant memories."

"I will search for any feelings of love you had for anyone back in your old life, and hopefully they will fill some of the emptiness in your mind." Aphrodite looked over at Athena and gave her a nod, signally that she was ready.

"I understand," muttered Naruto.

It all happened in an instant. The small area surrounding the goddesses and the Hokage remained the same, but Naruto's entire mindscape started to shake violently. The man gritted his teeth and shut his eyes as the goddesses' power penetrated into his mind. Shocking and stinging sensations were all that he could feel as his body twitched uncontrollably. Hundreds or thousands of mental images flashed into his mind like shattered pieces of a completed puzzle, all incoherent data that fell unceremoniously into his memory.

Athena narrowed her eyes at the vast difference compared to the time she tried to penetrate outer Naruto's mind. This man had an extremely vast amount of memories stored inside his mind – thousands of years' worth of memories. But something was still amiss; all the information was scattered and random, as if something was preventing her from fully extracting the data. Though now Athena could explain why Naruto did so well in her classes; she extracted a huge amount of random memories from his mind and all of them was about war, as expected of a man from the Bronze Age.

"I can pluck certain memories out, but none of them make sense or have any concise order," called out Athena as she looked over at Aphrodite. "Are you getting anything?"

In strict contrast to war, love was much simpler when remembered. When regarded to feelings and memories, love can only be one of two things – happiness and pain. And unlike the Naruto Aphrodite knew and loved, the Hokage had much experience in love. Ever since she placed her hand on his head she could feel his pain and his love – it was abundant. From the confines of his mind only two stray images came out, and they were very clear and constant: the face of one pink haired woman with green eyes and the face of a black haired woman with white eyes. They may appear in different frames and may look slightly different each time, but they remained constant. Every time Aphrodite detected pain and love in Naruto's mind, those two faces would emerge without error.

"Aphrodite!" exclaimed the Wisdom Goddess, trying to get the other goddess to answer.

Aphrodite nodded as she looked at Naruto's painful expression, "Yes, there are two women constantly present in his mind, one pink haired and one black haired." She frowned and pulled her hand away with a sigh, "And I think this is enough for now."

Athena agreed and retracted her hand as well, "Alright."

The shaking around the village ceased and settled down, and all was silent besides Naruto's panting. The Hokage rested against the railing as he fought to catch his breath, beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his face. His blue eyes were intense and looked very troubled, as if his confusion had increased even more than before and he couldn't stop his hand from shaking as he brushed his hair back. For the first time since the two Goddesses had met this Naruto, he looked disorientated and staggered.

Aphrodite frowned as she looked over at the Hokage, "You just saw everything we saw, right?"

Naruto merely nodded, remaining silent otherwise.

"I only caught glimpses of your memories and all of them were scattered and arbitrary; I couldn't find any discernable patterns." Athena crossed her arms and sighed, "Though there is one thing I am sure of: you have been through many years of war."

Flashes of carnage of the battlefield appeared in his mind and left just as quickly, making the Hokage cringe at the numbing sensation. "I'm quite aware of that now, though I still can't really recollect any specific times."

"I don't expect you to; you only regained mere fragments of your memories, and it will take much more time before you can fully remember everything." Athena internally noted Naruto's hopeful expression at her words, "What we proved today is that it is possible to reach your memories with our powers, and I am confident that we can fully restore them in time. War and Love encompass the bulk of humanity, especially in the Bronze Age, we are fully equipped."

"Thank you," muttered Naruto, looking grateful and relieved, "I really appreciate your help."

"Make no mistake; we are doing this to find out more about how a man who should be mortal managed to live for so long." Athena narrowed her eyes at the lack of reaction from the warrior, "Your existence is quite disconcerting for us." _'Not to mention that I love the other you and don't want anything bad to happen to him.'_

"We should leave soon," spoke Aphrodite, making Athena raise an eyebrow to her stoic tone, "I can feel this place fading; Naruto is waking up."

The Hokage frowned, "Will you two come back?"

Athena nodded, "Yes, we will see this to the end."

"Thank you."

Aphrodite gave the Shinobi a weak smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're welcome. We will be back soon, but until then, try to clear your mind and not focus too much on the fragments. We will uncover more memories soon, and you focusing too much of these small memories might make you even more confused."

The Hokage nodded, "I understand; thank you, Aphrodite."

The Goddess nodded before turning to look at Athena, "Let us go."

Athena nodded; she gave one last nod to the man before she and Aphrodite vanished silently, fading away as if they were made of mist, leaving Naruto alone in his village.

* * *

_'Oh! My! Gods!'_

Naruto was sure that he went to bed alone. The girls were tucked into their beds, sleeping peacefully, and he was sure that they were no longer afraid to sleep alone in their rooms. He had half expected his lover to show up in the middle of the night, but there was no sign of her either – not her usual vanilla perfume or her silky nightie against his skin. Naruto was confused at first; he could feel someone sleeping next to him, but instead of being on his right – Aphrodite's usual place – it was on his left; instead of the flimsy silk, it was thicker and was clearly a nightgown; then there was the scent – the lavender perfume. He knew exactly who wore that scent – he had spent two years taking her classes in University.

"A-Athena…"

Intense gray opened to meet azure blue.

"Good morning, Athena," whispered Naruto with widened eyes.

The most brilliant mind on Olympus had overheated. In an instant, Athena realized her situation and the close proximity to the man she fell in love with, the Naruto she knew and taught. She also registered the fact that Aphrodite had somehow vanished from the room before she even woke up, but she became much more concern when she started registering her position on the bed.

Despite feeling very warm and comfortable, Athena almost turned into her divine form when she noticed that she was still using Naruto as a pillow, but instead of his arm, she had moved closer to his shoulder. Naruto had also somehow shifted to his side in the middle of the night, and now had his other arm resting on her waist; his chest was also pressed tightly against her breasts, and she could feel herself pressing harder against him as she breathed. Then, of course, Athena was witness to one of men's most involuntary and widely known morning phenomenon, and it was pressed right up against her.

At that moment, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, Battle Strategy and Warfare, let out a high-pitched scream and almost gave Naruto a heart-attack.

"KYAAAA!"

Naruto, out of pure reflex, untangled himself from the mother of his child and jumped out of the bed. He almost tripped when the bedding caught onto his leg, but he managed to kick them away and stumbled back against the wall, resting his whole back onto it. His heart was pounding through his chest and his breath was quick; his eyes stared at the Goddess on his bed as his life – his ten year life – flashed before him.

But as many men could understand, fear doesn't necessarily take away erections.

Athena, while hugging the blanket over her chest, stared at Naruto, who only had on a pair of boxers. She couldn't help but take in the sight of his muscular – perfect – physique as he stood against the wall, but she almost fainted when she saw the large tent that his boxers resembled.

_'T-That's huge!'_

"I-I'm sorry!" cried Naruto as he frantically hid little Naruto behind his hands.

Athena now looked like a tomato and adverted her eyes, "I-It's fine, that's a natural reaction…" The Goddess bit her lip and couldn't help but curse Aphrodite inwardly; she had forgotten about sleeping in such a compromising position after such serious discussions with the other Naruto.

Naruto gulped, "W-Why are you here, Athena?"

Athena felt a little hurt at his tone and looked back at him, "You don't have to sound so scared, Naruto. I won't hurt you." She frowned after thinking that Aphrodite wouldn't make him feel so frightened, "I was just surprised."

The blond frowned after he realized his tone and slowly walked over to the bed, "Hey, I was also just surprised." He grabbed his robe from the side of his bed and quickly placed it on before he edged closer to Athena. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."

Athena lightly reached for Naruto's hand, "It pains me that you are so much more comfortable with Aphrodite."

"I'm comfortable with you, too, Ms. Olympia." Naruto smiled and tugged on Athena's hand, "You're my favorite teacher, the one that I had a crush on for the longest time." Athena blushed as Naruto moved closer to her, "You're also the mother of my child."

"I'm glad…" whispered Athena as she stared into Naruto's innocent blue eyes. _'This Naruto is nothing like the other one; this one is pure and sweet and loving. He's the one who…who can make my heart beat so quickly and flutter.'_ The Hokage may intrigue her and was a fierce warrior, but she loved this Naruto like no other; he was the first man she had fallen in love with and will probably be the last. She may be concerned about the implications of a Bronze Man being still alive, but in the end, she wanted to help her love more. _'I still want to get closer to this man; if everything works out, I will still marry him. One Bronze Man existing shouldn't be too big of a problem.'_

"You know," started Naruto, breaking Athena from her thoughts, "I didn't think I'd see you again after that day." Athena frowned and squeezed back when Naruto tightened his hand around hers, "That kiss felt like a goodbye kiss."

Athena blushed at the reminder of her first kiss, "I had thought so too."

"But I'm happy that I get to see you again." Naruto's happy tone made Athena look up at him, "I…I…well, my life is better with you in it."

"Really?" whispered the Goddess, looking as if her heart was melting.

"Yeah," replied Naruto with his own blush, "I love you."

Naruto felt guilty about saying that to Athena when he was committed to Aphrodite, but he had to tell her. Athena was the first woman he could remember loving. She was who directed him back into society when he was still lost because of his amnesia. Not only was Athena the mother of Annabeth, she was the one who changed his life and showed him that there was a world beyond ignorant human understanding.

Athena felt as if all her blood rushed to her face and the Master Bolt ran down her spine; her heart was thumping against her chest and her fingertips felt numb. She desperately wanted to say _I love you too_, but she was concerned that her voice wouldn't quite work, so she did the next best thing.

"Ummm, I-"

Naruto was swiftly cut off from his rambling and was shocked to feel Athena's sweet lips on his. The Goddess moved right up to him and sat onto his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. She tasted just as sweet as he remembered, and her tongue exhilarated him as it wrestled against his own. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her closer against his chest; he pressed his lips harder against hers and fought his way into her mouth; feeling her fingers running through his hair only encourage him to do more.

_'I love you, too!'_

Athena did her best to convey that silent message to Naruto as she kissed him; it was hard for her to actually say it when her heart was trying to jump out of her chest. She felt comfortable and warm in Naruto's arms, so she wasn't about to end the kiss anytime soon.

For the first time since Athena and Artemis came down looking for Aphrodite, she was alone with Naruto. There were no more distractions – Artemis, Aphrodite, Annabeth and Lacy, and Mother Rhea and Hestia were all out of the picture – there were only Athena and Naruto. She finally had a chance to act upon her feelings for Naruto and show him and she loved him just as much as Aphrodite.

_'I love you, Naruto.'_

Naruto was gasping for breath when he gently pulled away, his eyes never breaking contact with Athena's. He kept her close and rested his forehead against hers while gently brushing their noses together, smiling at her adorable blush. That kiss was far better than their first one – mainly because it didn't feel like a goodbye kiss. He gently cupped Athena's face and caressed her soft cheek, briefly but tenderly kissing her lips again.

"You're not going to turn me into an owl, right?" he asked with a chuckle.

Athena couldn't help but giggle, "No, definitely not." She leaned in and kissed him again, "Sometimes I prefer snakes."

"I'd rather be an owl," he whispered, kissing her again.

The Goddess ran her hands along his neck and sighed as she broke away from the kiss, "I love you, too, Naruto." She could finally say it without hesitation or nervousness, "I love you, and I'm not turning you into an owl or snake."

Naruto mirrored the happy smile on Athena's face and nodded. "Do you want to have breakfast with the girls?"

Athena gently shook her head with a smile, "I'm afraid it would have to be lunch; I should get back and see what the others are doing."

"That's fine." Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What prompted you to come here last night anyway?"

The Goddess gave a smile, "I just wanted to come see you and have a moment with you." She couldn't possibly let Naruto know of his past or the fact that he was most likely immortal, "Aphrodite isn't the only one who can act like this, you know?" Naruto chuckled and nodded, "I'm going to be back soon." She kissed him once more on the lips before she slipped out of the bed, "Bye."

"Bye," he said with a smile as Athena vanished with a gust of wind.

Being alone in his room, Naruto couldn't help but feel guilty as he touched his lips. He shouldn't have kissed Athena when he should be committed to Aphrodite. He knew he shouldn't act like an irresponsible playboy.

_'What is wrong with me? I already have Aphrodite.'_

But in the end, Naruto felt that Athena and Aphrodite shouldn't antagonize each other; it wasn't as if either one of them could ever replace the other.

* * *

"Look who decided to join us," said Rhea with a smile, "Out two nights in a row like a big girl."

Athena blushed and just sat down at the dinner table, staring at the plateful of food that magically appeared in front of her. She could feel the smirk on her grandmother's face, and the stares of Hestia and Artemis. The Goddess had expected such reactions from her family and was quite pleased that they didn't start asking her questions, but she was starting to become concerned about the lack of Aphrodite. It wasn't like the Love Goddess to storm away from her lover's bed so quickly and Athena would never imagine Aphrodite willingly allowing her and Naruto to be alone in bed. Something was definitely wrong with the lovesick goddess.

"So," started Rhea, "Where were you last night?"

Athena's hopes of not being interrogated had shattered with that, "I was watching Aphrodite. I do not trust her with Naruto and I was there to stop them from doing anything inappropriate." She could feel her lips tingling as she said that, as if the Fates were mocking her hypocrisy seeing how she _made-out_ with Naruto – a term she would often hear from Apollo. "I do not want Aphrodite touching Naruto nor do I want the girls to see or hear anything obscene."

"So there are still _three_ Virgin Goddesses?"

Athena gave her grandmother a look, "Yes, definitely."

"We were a little worried, Athena," spoke Hestia with a sheepish smile. "This is your second night staying over at Naruto's place and that is a little disconcerting. It is obvious that you care for Naruto much more than you have any man before, but we don't want you to rush or make any rash decisions."

Artemis crossed her arms at Athena's annoyed expression, "I was about to go over there as see if that man was doing anything to you."

_'Thank the Fates she didn't,'_ thought Athena as she stood from her seat. "I am the Goddess of Wisdom, so you don't have to worry about me being foolish. I can take care of myself and make my own decisions."

"Just don't let Father find out yet," muttered the Goddess of the Moon as she sliced her pancakes, knowing that her sister heard her perfectly. "He is going to freak out."

Ignoring the nods of Rhea and Hestia, Athena focused on Aphrodite's signature and walked up the series of stairs. Apparently, Aphrodite was just in her room. In the eons the two Goddesses had known each other, the last few days were perhaps the most they've ever been in each other's company. Athena couldn't remember the last time she sought out Aphrodite, but she was seriously concerned about her. She was certain that Aphrodite would try to tease her the moment the woke up; she was even a little nervous about Aphrodite potentially doing something embarrassing with Naruto in front of her, but she never expected her to just leave.

With several knocks on the _pink _wooden door, Athena stepped inside.

"Aphrodite?"

To her surprised, Aphrodite simple sat on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, her violet eyes deep in thought. She was still dressed in her silk nightie that revealed a huge amount of skin, but it was a little crinkled. Not to mention the several strands of hair that looked messy on her head – that alone should be a red flag.

Athena frowned and sat on the edge of the bed, "Hey, are you alright?"

"In the fragments of the inner Naruto's memories," started Aphrodite suddenly and without looking up at Athena, "Did you ever see glimpse of the two girls I mentioned, the pink haired one and the one with the white eyes?"

Searching through her memories, the goddess shook her head, "Nothing stood out; there were thousands of people in those memories. They might have been one of them, but there weren't anybody who appeared more significant than the rest."

Aphrodite sighed and looked up at Athena, "When we fully restore Naruto's memories, will he lose the memories he has now, or will they mix together?"

"They will mix together," said Athena positively, "No matter how many memories he has stored inside his mind, he will retain his most recent memories, which should still be more prominent after because it is so close." The Wisdom Goddess sat closer to her rival and crossed her arms, "What is it? What is bothering you so much?"

"It's those two girls, Athena."

"The pink haired one and the white eyed one?"

Aphrodite nodded, "Yeah." She hugged her knees and sighed, "They were in every single frame of his memories associated with love – every single frame. There were maybe several other girls over the centuries, but these two girls would always be there. This means that even after so many years he still loves them and hasn't forgotten about them." Athena was starting to understand the problem and bit her lower-lip, "I can sense inner Naruto's love for them, and it might even be stronger than the love he has for us."

"So, were they his wives or something?" Athena asked with a steely tone, "Men of the Bronze Age did practice polygamy at times."

"I guess," muttered Aphrodite. "They are really important to him, practically everything to him."

"So…" Athena trailed off as she thought about the situation.

"I don't want to restore his memories." Aphrodite glared down at her fists and shook her head, "Even though his memories will be mixed I don't want the two other women to take his attention and love away from me! They are two mortals who died thousands of years ago and should just stay that way: dead!"

"Aphrodite, if both one of us wants to make Naruto our Immortal Husband and I know both of us do, we will have to restore his memories." Athena frowned and closed her eyes in thought, "The others will find out about his past sooner or later, especially Apollo. We need to figure out what we are dealing with before letting the others know. If we can solve this whole thing ourselves we don't have to worry about the others being paranoid about Naruto." Aphrodite just sighed, but Athena continued, "His feelings for the other two girls may have lasted for a long time, but the love he has for us isn't weak either. Not only are we much more recent, we are also Goddesses. I am quite confident that he will forget about them soon."

"You don't know love like I do." The Love Goddess ran her nails along her blanket with a frown, "If he hasn't forgotten about them in twenty-thousand years, he wouldn't forget about them now. I can suppress his feelings for them with my powers, but not erase. The best we can do is to try to win over his heart, make him love us more than them."

"You're saying that we need to work together?"

Aphrodite nodded, "Yeah, I want to make sure that we get his heart – 100%."

Athena sighed, "As much as I want to claim Naruto as my husband, I guess I can work with you for a short while. But make no mistakes, Naruto is still in might sights and I will have him for myself later on."

"You wish," Aphrodite said with a smile, "If I can get rid of those two girls, Naruto is all mine!"

For the first time in forever, Love and War were working together, and that was a power that could reshape the earth on its own.

* * *

**The End!**

**That's chapter 12, and I hope you all liked it. **

**I will update "The Young God" or the "Reading" next, so be on the lookout for them.**

**PLEASE LEAVE ME A REVIEW! XD **


	13. Christmas Eve

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love – Chapter 13**

* * *

_'Pony, I'm thinking a pony,'_ muttered the most beautiful Goddess in existence as she tuned out the voice of Hermes as he recited the topic of the meeting. _'A pink pony – no, a white pony. I'm sure Lacy will love a white pony. Annie is far too much like her mother to like such things. Hmm, maybe I'll get her a snow owl as a pet; I'm sure she'd love that.'_

In accordance to Olympian tradition, all twelve Olympians along with Hades were gathered in the Council Chamber to welcome the Winter Solstice with their annual meeting of the Gods. But also going along with tradition of past several millennia, nothing of importance was discussed, not for Aphrodite anyway. She could see Athena was paying very close attention and had prepared her own stack of papers to present to the council, but Aphrodite couldn't have cared less. As far as she was concerned, Winter Solstice was just another way of saying it's only four days until Christmas.

The Goddess of Love had always loved the holidays, even though the Christians originally stole the idea from them. Be the holiday called Kronia, or Saturnalia, or Christmas, it was all the same to her. The sentiments of the holidays were too lovely for Aphrodite to ignore, and the fact that it gave the perfect excuse to shower her two favorite girls with gifts made it all the better. It was quite surreal for Aphrodite; in such a short while, Lacy and Annie had become a huge part of her immortal life. It was most surprising for her that she could love Annabeth so much even though she wasn't her own daughter; the mere fact of her being one of Naruto's most precious people was enough for Aphrodite to love her.

"Aphrodite," muttered a voice from next to her, one that she decided to ignore.

_'Hmm, what should I get for my handsome husband?'_ The Goddess had her arms crossed as she bit her lower lip in thought, wondering what would be the perfect gift for the most important man in the world. _'I already bought that sexy set of lingerie, but I need more than that. Maybe a new car, or a new house – no, I love our little home and family car.'_

"Aphrodite!"

"What?!" cried Aphrodite angrily, very annoyed that her train of thought was interrupted.

Zeus glared at the Goddess for her blatant disregard to the meeting and her rude tone when addressing him. "Need I remind you that this is the most important meeting of the year?! Stop day-dreaming and pay attention! My Queen is asking you a question, so if you aren't too busy with your thoughts, please answer her!"

With a huff, the Goddess looked over at the Queen, "What is it, Hera?"

Hera sighed, "As I was saying: the marriages that occurred this year is lower than the number of last year, following the pattern of the ten year decrease, but the amount of divorces have increased by almost 25% compared to last year." The Queen had a frown that bothered her beautiful face as she looked at the Goddess of Love, "This is a huge problem for my domain and I would like to know if the amount of new lovers this year has decreased."

Aphrodite calmed and really focused on the Queen's words. "I'm afraid not," she replied, not surprised at the deepening of Hera's frown, "The amount of new lovers have increased since last year and is almost at an all-time high. The women and men around the world seem to have less respect to their marriages nowadays; they all go out and do their philandering before coming home." Everyone, with the exception of Athena, Artemis and Hera, were a little surprised to hear bitterness in Aphrodite's voice – she would usually be glad that there were more new lovers around the world. "And I must note that many of these new lovers are much younger in age than the ones in previous years. Teenagers are hooking up younger and younger every year. It's really not surprising that the amount of divorces are so high; these kids don't even know what love is, much less know if they are marrying the right person."

Apollo shrugged, "Well, the media isn't really helping on that part. All the movies now days have all the cool kids hookup real early on and there are less and less family orientated films being made. I often see my children and legacies try to branch off into new genres, and some of them are just not promoting the traditional marriage and family."

"There are still some good family movies, I guess," muttered Hermes as he toyed with his caduceus, "I watched one the other day that was pretty good."

"It's still nowhere near enough," said the Queen with a sigh. "Western society, even Eastern society is plagued by a so-called modern mindset and it just doesn't allow for healthy and good marriages. There are still wonderful married couples out there, but they are becoming scarcer. This is a problem with very deep roots and it can affect parts of almost every domain."

Athena nodded in agreement. "This is true. A healthy family is fundamental for each growing child, and in turn, is fundamental for all future generations. This generation is becoming vastly different from the last. Families being torn apart will lead to many difficult situations."

"I can personally vouch for that," added in Artemis, "Many of my younger hunters decided to join to escape their broken family. Countless children are being ignored and many women are leading promiscuous and adulterous lives. It's different from before; now not only the _men_ cheat and hurt, the women do as well."

"Not surprising," muttered Aphrodite with a frown, "Honestly, I don't think many in this generation knows how to properly fall in love."

Hades cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Many new souls in the Underworld have died from domestic disputes, some of them are children. This problem is a wild fire, and we must contain it as soon as possible." The eldest son looked over at his sister, "Hera, I think you should increase your power and control over your domain; use force if you have to."

Hera shook her head, "It's not that simple, brother. My control over my domain is purely one-dimensional. I can only fan the flames of the existing values of marriage; I cannot change or alter those values in any way."

Zeus looked over at Aphrodite, "I think it is time to combine your powers with Hera's, Aphrodite. With both of you monitoring this problem, we might see some change by the end of next year."

Ares scoffed, "You're asking Dite to help with marriages?"

Aphrodite glared at the God of War, making him flinch, before she turned and nodded to the King. "That is a good idea; I will take a look at it. I'm sure together, the Goddesses of Love and Marriage can do something to fix this."

Hera smiled, "Thank you."

"No worries, I owed you one anyway." Ignoring everyone's curious gaze, she continued, "And I've come to appreciate marriage much more than before, so I'm willing to help."

"That is good news, indeed."

* * *

Just as she had been doing ever since she started to live with Naruto, Aphrodite scattered her being all over the globe, using her omnipresence to hide her true location to people who would search for her. Doing as Athena had advised, Aphrodite left more power to some of her essence, so people looking for her would naturally go the other direction. This way of outmaneuvering Ares and other Gods searching for her had worked perfectly, and she hadn't been bothered at all. She was peacefully enjoying married life with Naruto and their honeymoon in suburban New York.

"So you're not coming home tonight?"

Athena shook her head with a frown, "No, I am needed hear to discuss the future plans with father, and I need to keep all my focus here, so I shouldn't use my omnipresence. I will be back by Christmas; I did promise Annabeth that I'd spend the holidays with her."

Aphrodite smiled, "I think the girls are ready to find out that we're their mothers."

"I think so as well," replied the War Goddess with a smile, "Annabeth will accept me, I'm sure of it. And Lacy has loved you since she met you, so I'm sure they're ready."

"Should we tell me on Christmas?"

Stepping into the large edifice that was Athena's Temple on Olympus, the owner of the temple shrugged. "We should discuss it with Naruto first and then decide. He's always been nervous about the girls' reaction and we should ask for his opinion before we act, but I'm sure he's noticed what we have. The girls have gotten used to us in their lives and they are ready."

Aphrodite smiled happily, "It adds to their presents for Christmas, too."

Athena nodded with a smile, "Yes, it will be a good day."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Don't act crazy in the house just because I'm gone. I may not be there personally, but I will be watching you from here."

Since the two Goddess had decided to work together to amplify Naruto's feelings for them, they had come up with a routine. They would both act friendly with each other, especially when in Naruto's company. They would both try their best to get close to the girls and have them ready to accept them as their mothers. One thing they were certain of: Naruto's love would amplify if the girls started to see them as their mothers. So, for the past two months, life had been great for the family of five. It had been a little rocky at first, but the two Goddesses were starting to get used to each other – to be honest, none really minded the other anymore.

"Hey, what I do with my lover in the bedroom is none of your business!"

Athena scoffed, "It does when he's my lover as well!"

"He's not your lover, you virgin!" Aphrodite was annoyed at how fast Athena was coming to terms about loving Naruto, "You kiss and you cuddle, that doesn't make you lovers. You're really lucky I let you kiss my man, so be grateful and mind your own business."

"_Your_ man?" questioned Athena with a hiss, "He is _my_ future husband."

"He is my _current_ husband, and he will be my husband for the rest of my life, so get used to it." Aphrodite huffed and turned into her true form, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going home to my man!" Her golden form scattered all around the world as her true consciousness flew down to New York, leaving Athena to herself.

"Stupid pile of foam…"

* * *

"Don't put the red tinsel on the tree, it looks really ugly!" Lacy was barking around orders as Annabeth was in charge of decorating the taller parts of the tree, "We have yellow lights and a golden star, so put the gold tinsel only!"

Annabeth glared at her sister, "Just shut up, you little troll. This is my part of the tree and I can do what I want with it. I like the red tinsel, so I'm going to put as much red tinsel as I want!" The blonde girl wrapped up the top of the tree like a red cone, "What are you going to do about it!"

Lacy pouted, "Daddy, Annie is being mean!"

"No fighting, girls." Naruto smiled at his princesses as he slid his securely wrapped presents under the tree. He wasn't even going to try to pretend Santa was real again; last year Annabeth had ripped all his poor explanations apart. His eldest was far too smart to believe anything of the sort – Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy – though he hoped she'd be willing to believe that all the Greek Gods exist and Athena is her mother. "You each have your own part on the tree. Lacy, if Annie wants to decorate her part with red, then it's her business. We can't be bossy or selfish, okay?"

Lacy stomped her feet and pouted, "But it's ugly!"

"No it's not!"

The younger girl sudden looked at the entrance of the house, "Dite, come here!"

Naruto looked at his front door and smiled when he saw his lover coming home. She had told him about the Olympian meeting and he wasn't expecting her until the next day, but he sure was happy to see her home. It was amazing. Every single time Naruto laid eyes of Aphrodite, she would be perfect in every way. Her hair could be messy, she could have absolutely no makeup on, but she will always be his perfect beauty, personified.

Lacy ran over to her mother and pulled to over to the Christmas tree by the hand, "Look at this!"

Aphrodite smiled and sat down on the soft carpet, "Oh, I think it looks beautiful."

Annabeth grinned as Lacy looked shocked. "What?!" cried the youngest Namikaze, "Red doesn't go well at all with the yellow and gold!"

"Yes, but the tree is decorated by you two girls, and that makes it beautiful." The Goddess kissed both Annabeth and Lacy on their cheeks, smiling stunningly as she did so. "It makes it unique and I love it already!"

Lacy pouted, "I guess I can live with it."

"See, Dite likes it." Annabeth smiled and stuck her tongue out at Lacy, making her sister glare at her.

"Shut up, Annie!"

"That's enough, girls," said Naruto with a little more authority, "Since Dite is home, we're going to prepare for dinner now. Annie will go set the table and Lacy will place the napkins. The roast is almost done, so wash your hands after you're done."

"Okay, daddy."

"Sure, dad."

Aphrodite smiled as the girls skipped into the kitchen and smiled brighter when Naruto sat down next to her on the carpet. He had _that_ smile on his face, the one he would always have when he would welcome her home, the one that would always make Aphrodite feel as if her heart was melting. It was so breathtakingly handsome and cozy; it made the Goddess feel that she was where she belonged, that she was home. The strong arms that wrapped themselves around her frame made everything all the better and Aphrodite found herself in her favorite spot in the world: in Naruto's arms. She rested comfortably against his chest and gently caressed his hand that was tracing her side.

"Are you tired from the meeting?"

The Goddess tilted up and kissed him softly on the lips, "A little, but I felt better as soon as I was home." She smiled happily as she looked at the tall Christmas tree in front of them, all decorated in gold and red. She had been with Naruto the day they picked it out; it was a tree that would make Demeter proud, and the girls' decorations just made it perfect. "You know, this is my first Christmas tree."

Naruto was surprised and rested his head on her shoulder from behind, "Really?"

"Mmm-hmm, I never had one in my temple or any other places. This is the first one I've seen that was personally picked by my lover and decorated by my little girls." She smiled with a sigh, "I love it."

"It's the first of many."

Aphrodite giggled and nodded, "First of eternity."

Naruto kissed the Goddess' cheek, "I love you, Dite."

Just like every other time she heard those three words from Naruto, her heart fluttered in delight, "I love you, too, Naruto." She snuggled deeper into Naruto, reveling in warmth, "I love you so much."

Since the day she decided to come back to Naruto, her love for him had reached new heights – not just for their relationship, but new heights for all of the love she had ever felt in her life. It had been growing every day, steady and surely. Aphrodite was so surprised that such powerful emotions could be achieved so simply. It was all the simple things that Naruto did for her: kissing her lips to wake her up, mumbling _I love you_ to her during every kiss, caressing her cheek as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world, holding her in his arms when they sleep, saying _I love you_ every night before bed and every morning before leaving for work. The sex was _amazing_ and their dates were always exciting and fun, but it was the little things that really made everything special. Without a shadow of doubt, Aphrodite was certain that Naruto was her true love.

"Come on, honey, let's have dinner." Naruto kissed Aphrodite softly and whispered against her lips, "The girls want to watch _Home Alone_ after dinner."

Aphrodite smiled more beautifully than perhaps she had ever before, "Okay."

* * *

For the past few decades, Hera had moved her control room to Los Angeles. She had come to realize that the easiest way to have access to all of western civilization was through the media, so she had Apollo construct her personal studio. It was top of the line and can access every single television channel in the world. The broadcast system is monitored by all the Wind Gods, as ordered by her husband, so the airwaves can be at any frequency and can force its way into any radio in the world. It was a single location where one person can send their voice to the entire world at once.

"Have you chosen your selection of songs?"

Hera nodded at her stepson, "Yes, and I've laced them all with my power. It should help in aiding some marriages for those who hear them."

Hestia and Rhea sat in the listening area of the studio and watched as the Queen worked almost like a DJ. With Hera, Hestia and Rhea all sending power through the songs played from the studio, it would have quite the effect on the people around the world. Hopefully, it would be influential enough to help the marriages around the world last the test of a lifetime, which for humans, isn't all too long.

"This is truly sad," muttered Hestia as she stared into the fireplace in the listening area. "Even though it's Christmas Eve, there are so many families that are apart. They all go the separate parties and don't even call each other."

Rhea was looking into a crystal ball – she was where the legend of crystal balls originated – and nodded at her daughter's words, "Yes, it seems that adultery is not wrong now days. I see husbands going off with random women and wives sleeping with other men. Why are they even married if they like to mock their bond so casually?"

"Do you think these songs will even help, mother?"

Rhea shook her head, "I really can't say, dear. The humans are their own persons and they must realize it for themselves." The mother of the Olympians smiled, "I do see quite a few of happy families celebrating together, so there are those who understand the importance of family and marriage. Hopefully more of them will be like this after tonight."

"Okay, we're a playin!" exclaimed Apollo with a grin.

Apollo and Hera stepped into the listening area, "Alright, let see how this goes."

The Sun God sat beside his stepmom, his aunt and grandmother, but not really paying attention. He was really getting hungry and was hoping to get back to Olympus soon. There was a feast ready and everyone was waiting on them to finish and get back. And knowing his own twin, she would be cleaning out the cookies at light speed, and he _really_ wanted some of his Aunt Hestia's cookies.

"They aren't even listening!" cried Hera as she looked through her own crystal ball.

Rhea placed a hand on Hera's shoulder, "Calm down, dear, we still have a few songs left."

Hestia shook her head, "We need to add more power."

"It won't work. Our powers are only fanning the emotions of family, not love. If there is no love inside the family, our powers will have no effect at all." Hera sighed, "I can't believe we've come to an era where people are so heartless, even during such festivities."

"They just don't know how to love."

Apollo was surprised to see another Goddess at the door, "Oh hey, Dite."

Aphrodite smiled at the others and stepped into the room, "It's been so long since true love and family have been known to exist, most people have come to believe that they aren't real." The Family Goddesses and Titaness sighed, "Hey, can I see what songs you have playing?"

"Sure, it's right in the control room over there."

Aphrodite nodded and heading over there.

"Oh well, we didn't expect much change this year anyway." Rhea crossed her arms and leaned back against the sofa, "We can think of ways to combine our powers with Aphrodite's next year. We have time now and we can actually get together and get things done efficiently."

Hestia nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid that is what we must do."

Hera sighed, disappointed, "I was hoping to see better results, though."

Rhea smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek, "It's okay, dear, I'm sure we can do much better next year. I think we can try again on Valentine's Day; it's only a couple of months away."

"Whoa!" suddenly exclaimed Apollo, "Dite just maxed out all the controls in there."

"What does that mean?" asked Hestia.

"It means that every single television channel and radio station in the world will be hearing what we play. We wanted to stay within the United States tonight to see how we do, but know the whole world is listening to what we play." Hera looked into the control room through the large glass wall and saw Aphrodite smiling, "What is she doing?"

Suddenly the music stopped.

"Yeah, what is she doing?" wondered Apollo out loud. A new melody started to play from the control room and it was being broadcasted to the entire world. "Hey, we never chose this song to be on the playlist."

Hestia sat up taller from the sofa, "What song is this?"

"**I've Never Been To Me**, by **Charlene**," answered the God of Music.

**"Hey lady, you lady, cursing at your life~"**

"She's…singing?" Hera was surprised to see that Aphrodite was holding onto a microphone and it was set to be broadcasted as a live-feed. "But the cameras are all off, so what is being shown on the television channels."

"I'm not sure, but Heph designed this studio to reach everything. My guess is that the screens will be our Olympia Logo or something and the sound will still be played through." Apollo stared at Aphrodite, who looked incredibly serene as she held the mic. "But I have a feeling that we need don't any images to capture the attention of the people."

**"You're a discontented mother and a regimented wife~**

**I've no doubt you dream about the things you'll never do~"**

Inside the control room, Aphrodite rested against the wall with a small smile as she sang into the mic. For some reason, ever since the Solstice Meeting, this song had been in her mind. It was bizarre since she had always hated this song. It promoted wives to stay with their husbands and restricted the widespread of love, but now that she was with Naruto, her opinion changed.

If she had to choose between Naruto and _all_ of her experience and previous lovers, she would choose Naruto without question. It would be the easiest choice she would ever make.

**But, I wish someone had talked to me**

**Like I wanna talk to you...**

It was at that moment that the ladies outside of the control room felt it. It…it was overwhelmingly powerful. It was Aphrodite's love, her love for Naruto, for Lacy, for Annabeth, even her love for Einstein and Toothless. They all clearly felt it. Aphrodite's emotions were coming off of her person in waves, and it flooded the domain of family with love. For the first time since Aphrodite's birth, she was fully immersed in a love that was not of her own domain. For the first time, she was fully bathed in the love for family.

**Oh, I've been to Georgia and California and anywhere I could run**

**I took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun**

**But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free**

**I've been to paradise but I've never been to me**

_'This…this is how she really feels, this is sung straight from her heart,'_ thought Hestia as she looked at her best friend, tears of joy welling in her eyes. _'I can feel it myself, all of Aphrodite's emotions.'_

Hera had a soft smile on her face as she watched the Goddess sing, _'She really understands. That mortal she is with must be one special man; for Aphrodite to change this much in such little time…I didn't think it was even possible.'_

_'Oh, Aphrodite,'_ Rhea had perhaps been the one who had always noticed how empty and lonely Aphrodite actually was, and she was more than happy that the Love Goddess could finally breakthrough from her own prison.

* * *

**Mount Olympus – Main Hearth**

The other nine Olympians among others were all silent as they were all enchanted by Aphrodite's voice that was currently playing through every single speaker on Olympus. It was obvious to them that Aphrodite not being her usual self. They could all feel her emotions through her voice and how deep her love really ran.

**"Please lady, please lady, don't just walk away~**

**'Cause I have this need to tell you why I'm all alone today~"**

"Wow, I didn't think Dite would ever sing this song," said Hermes as he remained captured by Aphrodite's heavenly voice.

Artemis smiled as she tapped her feet to the mellow beat, "For once, I don't find her voice annoying at all." The Goddess of the Moon could only wonder how Naruto managed to change Aphrodite so much.

_'Aphrodite…'_ wondered the one Goddess that could share in her love. Athena sat still on her throne, looking up at a celestial speaker as she bathed in Aphrodite's emotions. She could feel it as if the Love Goddess was in front of her smiling and she could see Naruto standing right next to her. Athena understood, perhaps more than anybody. She knew how much they loved Naruto and how amazing he made them feel. If she had any doubt about Aphrodite's love for Naruto before, they were all obliterated. At that moment, Athena knew that Aphrodite truly loved Naruto, just like she did.

**I can see so much of me still living in your eyes**

**Won't you share a part of a weary heart that has lived million lies...**

* * *

The control room was almost like a nest, a sanctuary. Aphrodite closed her eyes and just let her heart express her feelings through song. Images of the past lies and lives she had lived were flashing before her eyes, but they didn't even bother her. They were leaving her mind; they no longer mattered in the slightest.

All she wanted at the moment was to show everyone in the world just how amazing and wonderful the love of family could be. She didn't want to see any other woman make the same mistake she did; they weren't as lucky as her, they weren't immortal.

**Oh, I've been to Niece and the Isle of Greece while I've sipped champagne on a yacht**

**I've moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed 'em what I've got**

**I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see**

**I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me**

Apollo smiled sadly, but proudly at his friend, very happy to see her express herself so clearly. "This is amazing," he said, knowing the others were listening, "Every single person in the world is captured by her voice. Every single person; from the United States, to England, to Italy, to Mexico, to Japan, to China, to Russia – every single person has stopped whatever they were doing to listen." With his all-seeing, Apollo smiled as he marveled at the sight of Time Square and thousands of other places being completely silent on Christmas Eve, everyone listening to the song.

**[Spoken Lyrics]**

**"Hey, you know what paradise is?**

**It's a lie, a fantasy we create about people and places as we'd like them to be"**

Perhaps it was her Charmspeak, but Hestia, Hera and Rhea could feel their domain change as she spoke. Aphrodite had never been more powerful than at that moment; she was Charmspeaking almost 7.22 billion people at once and they were all unable to turn away from her voice. It was truly the work of the Goddess of Love; her love for her husband, to her children, to her family, was spreading to the corners of the earth, enchanting all that heard her voice.

**"But you know what truth is?**

**It's that little baby you're holding, it's that man you fought with this morning**

**The same one you're going to make love with tonight**

**That's truth, that's love..."**

* * *

**New York – Naruto's Home**

"That sounds like Dite," chirped Lacy, the meaning of the lyrics lost to her young mind, but the voice still enchanted her like no other. "It's so beautiful."

Annabeth swayed her head from side to side as she followed the beat with a smile, "I really like the melody; it's so soothing." She held Einstein in her arms and hugged him close, her mind suddenly thinking of Percy, and wondering if he was listening to the same song.

The only one that was silent was Naruto. He had his back turned from his girls and from the television with tears welling in his eyes. Out of everyone in the world, he was the one who felt Aphrodite's love most clearly. He could feel like as if she was sitting on his lap, kissing him and whispering _I love you _in his ear. He could feel definitively that Aphrodite had him on her mind from the moment she started to sing. It was overwhelming; the amount and intensity of the love Aphrodite had for him were staggering, and it amplified his own feelings for her, increasing it to the point where he matched her love for him.

_'What did I ever do to deserve you, Dite?'_

* * *

All the other images were gone and only Naruto, Lacy and Annabeth remained. She could only smile as she thought back to the times she spent with the girls. The times she dressed them for school, times she brushed their golden hair, times she cuddled with them while watching cartoons, times she taught Lacy how to properly braid her hair, times she took Annabeth out to shop for a new wardrobe. Then came the times she and Naruto both cooked dinner together and how they secretly stared at the girls to see their reactions to the food, the times they just lay in bed, staring into each other's eyes until one of them would giggle or burst out laughing for no particular reason, and of course, all the times she heard him say _I love you._

**"Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children that might have made me complete~**

**But I took the sweet life; I never knew I'd be bitter from the sweet~**

**I've spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free~**

**Hey lady~...**

**I've been to paradise~, (I've been to paradise~)" **

Aphrodite opened her eyes at saw Hestia, Hera, Rhea and Apollo all looking at her adoringly and proudly, and smiled at them.

**"But I've never been to me~..."**

The Goddess lowered the mic as the music started to fade, her feelings running through her being like eternal rivers. She smiled at her family on the other side of the glass, looking more beautiful and more genuine that ever before.

"I hope this helped," she said with a pretty smile, "Sorry, but I only have time to sing one song. I have my own Christmas Eve dinner to go to, and I'm running a little late already."

Hera smiled, "Go, you shouldn't be late for them." Rhea and Hestia nodded along, and Apollo had a knowing smile on his face – his all-seeing was very useful.

Aphrodite nodded, "See you all at home soon." With that, she vanished in a golden light.

* * *

The moment Aphrodite appeared by the doorstep in her real home, she felt someone hug her close. She smiled and melted into his arms, resting fully against him, allowing his usual warmth to envelop her fully.

"Merry Christmas, Naruto."

Naruto gently caressed his lover's soft cheek and kissed her tenderly on the lips, "Merry Christmas, Aphrodite."

* * *

**The End!**

**Whoo! I always wanted to do a Christmas chapter for this story, but unfortunately I was very busy the last two weeks. It's a little late, but better late than never! I hope you all liked it!**

**Don't worry; the action is coming very soon. ;)**

**Btw, I've started to use my facebook page again. I have a link posted on my profile, so please give me a like. I will be posting on facebook about various stories and future plans.**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! XD**


	14. A Mother's Love

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

**A Father's Love– Chapter 14**

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Dite?" It was troubling to see the goddess' hands play around with the navigation screen and the steering wheel. "I can drive the two of you to the mall; it really is no trouble at all."

Aphrodite smiled at her lover, "Just relax, honey. The mall is ten minutes away from here and I'm pretty sure I can get us there safely." As angry or violent were the New Yorkers on the road, the Goddess of Love was sure that she could manage to survive. With a wink, she continued, "And if it really comes to it, I will charm the entire city until I get to the mall." He leaned down at her whisper and smiled at her wink, "Don't worry, I'll keep our little girl safe."

"Alright, but can you please text me when you get to the mall?"

"Daddy!" cried little Lacy in the back, "Stop worrying so much! Dite can get us there!"

The mother laughed, "Yeah, sweetie. This is a girl's day – no boys allowed." She kissed him softly on the lips, "We'll be back in a few hours."

Naruto sighed in defeat and nodded, "Okay, have fun. I love the both of you."

With another wink, Aphrodite pulled out of the driveway, the car looking surprisingly steady. It may have been a few decades since she had driven a car, but it was nothing an immortal goddess couldn't handle. With a deft hand on the wheel and _Barbie Girl _playing loudly in the car, she headed off to the mall. Her baby girl wanted a new dress for Christmas Dinner, and Aphrodite was determined to get Lacy the best dress possible.

The father of two stepped back as the car drove out of sight, turning on his heel to face his home. He still felt a little sore after spending the entire night with Aphrodite, but the smile just couldn't leave his face. It was the best night of his life. After hearing Aphrodite's voice singing such beautiful lyrics that were laced with her love, he wanted nothing more than to make love to her. He wanted to show her his love over and over again until all the muscles and bones in his body gave out – and by the gods above, he satisfied her.

"Did they leave already?"

The smile on his face grew, "Yeah, they went shopping."

Athena, in her infinite glory, smiled as she leaned against the front door. She made the modern house look unworthy in her pure white chiton laced with golden thread. Her silky black tresses were tied into a loose ponytail that fell over her right shoulder, and it made his heart flutter with delight.

Walking up to one of two women he loved, he whispered, "Merry Christmas, Athena."

Lightly tracing his jawline, the Goddess leaned closer to him. "Merry _Kronia_, Naruto – get it right." Their lips met in the most intimate and delicate of touches, and Athena felt her love's arms encircle her waist and pull her close. She had missed him dearly; even during the Council Meeting, she wanted nothing more than to kiss and hold him.

Gently sliding his warm hand from her slender neck, Naruto cupped Athena's soft cheek, "Yes, Ms. Olympia." Nibbling playfully at her lower lip, the blond smiled into the kiss.

"I've missed you, Naruto." Sighing as she melted into his arms, the goddess snuggled deeper into his chest. "These meetings always take so long and I'm always stressed out about them. You wouldn't believe how many problems the others have in their domains."

Chuckling, Naruto led the mother of his eldest daughter into the house. He could tell that she was still tired, so he quickly sat her down at the dining room table, pouring her a hot cup of French Roast. It was no mystery that Athena was extremely busy with her duties as an Olympian. He had seen her prepare for her Council Meetings before – simultaneously working on over fifty papers and proposals while showing Annabeth how to solve some of her math homework – and it was ridiculously complicated. It was no wonder that she was the Goddess of Wisdom.

"If I hear anymore of Ares' whining about not enough war around the world, I would have sewn his mouth shut." Athena sipped on her coffee after Naruto stirred in her usual bag of sugar and cream. "And it's as if we don't already have enough Eastern Culture around us nowadays; Apollo won't be happy until we all learn Chinese or Japanese in school." Naruto gave her a smile – she looked really cute when complaining. "Oh…I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining to you."

"Hey, I happen to be a great listener." Standing behind her chair, Naruto rubbed Athena's shoulders as he leaned close to her ear. "Come on, tell me more about your day," he finished with a kiss to her earlobe.

"No, enough with the useless things." Athena reached for his hand and looked up at him lovingly, "Let's talk about tonight." The goddess' smile grew as Naruto knelt in front of her and encircled her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "Tonight is the night."

Naruto's face flared red, "I-It is?"

"Yes, I think we're ready." Athena held onto Naruto's hands tenderly, "I've waited a while, and what better time to do it than Kronia?" Lightly pecking his lips, she continued, "I've waited a long time for this, and I want it to happen."

"A-Are you sure?" stammered the man, "Are you sure _you're_ ready for it?"

The goddess smiled radiantly, "Of course I am." Naruto's heart fluttered – Athena looked absolutely divine. "Naruto, I love you. I want us to be a proper family, and there is no better way to become one than this."

"Is Aphrodite okay with this?"

"This was her idea." Naruto nearly choked, "Annabeth and Lacy have grown close to us and I'm sure they'd be happy to know the truth. Honestly, I cannot wait for Annabeth to call me mom."

The blond stared at the goddess. "Mom?"

Athena stared at her love, "Yeah, for her to call me her mother."

"T-That's what you were talking about?"

"Yes, what did you think I was-" The blood rushing to Naruto's face was all Athena needed to figure out what he was thinking – and golden ichor rushed to her own cheeks. "Y-You think I was talking about s-s-se…about having se-?"

"NO!" Naruto blasted to his feet and backed away, "I knew what you were talking about! And yeah! I think the girls are ready to know; I'm sure they'll love you so much!" He darted his eyes away from the burning goddess and shook his head frantically, "I-I-I'm going to get changed. Annie is meeting her teacher at school for some winter homework thing!"

Athena nodded and didn't look up until she heard Naruto's frantic running upstairs. _'He…he wants to…"_ She buried her golden face into her hands, _'What in Hades should I do?!'_

* * *

"Oh, you look so cute!"

Lacy grinned at her favorite lady as she bounced on her new pink winter boots, looking adorable dressed in a pair of black and white leggings and simple pink t-shirt, all warmly wrapped under a puffy white winter jacket.

"Thank you, Dite!"

Aphrodite couldn't help but hug her baby girl close and smother her face with kisses. She could see so much of herself in Lacy, but even more of Naruto. The girl's blue eyes sparkled just like her father's would whenever she saw the goddess, and it made Aphrodite love her even more. Best of all, Lacy had the same smile as Naruto – that bright and warm grin that just melted Aphrodite's heart.

"Well that was easy!" chirped the goddess, "We got you two new outfits and an adorable new dress in under one hour." Aphrodite winked at her baby girl and smiled at her giggle, "I'm sure your daddy will be impressed!" Lacy laughed and nodded, "Okay, let's get us some milkshakes and head home!"

"No, not yet!" exclaimed the girl as she pulled on Dite's sleeve.

Aphrodite raised a delicate brow, "What is it? Did we forget something?"

The girl's smile turned sheepish. "Well, there is still something I need to buy." Lacy happily reached into her small Hello Kitty backpack and pulled out a stack of money, "But I need to buy it with my own money." Lacy started to pull her favorite lady along to the store she needed to go to.

The Goddess of Love sighed with a soft smile, "Sweetie, I can buy it for you," she said as she followed her daughter through the mall.

The girl shyly shook her head, "No, it's okay. I really want to buy it myself; I saved my allowance from daddy so I can buy it myself."

"What is it you're buying?"

"Daddy's Christmas present!" Aphrodite was taken aback for a second, "My present for Annie, Thena and for you are all ready, but I want to buy this one for daddy." The girl was practically skipping when she pulled the Goddess into the store. "There it is!" Aphrodite's heart melted when she saw her daughter point to a blue neck-tie on showcase with **I Love You, Daddy **sewn on it with golden threads. "Thank goodness no one bought it!"

Aphrodite knelt down to her excited little girl and kissed her forehead, "You really love your daddy, don't you?"

Lacy's grin look exactly like her father's. "Yep, daddy is the best!" She looked up at the tie and her smiled grew, "He doesn't wear ties often, but I know he loves them."

"Hello," greeted one of the salesmen in the store, "How can I be of help today?"

Lacy pointed at the tie, "Can I please buy that tie?"

Aphrodite watched as her daughter jumped to take the tie from the salesman and giggled to herself. She had never taken one of her children shopping before – usually she would just conjure outfits that would look best of them – but she was really enjoying their mother and daughter time together. Lacy was so innocent and carefree, and she really reminded the Goddess of herself eons ago.

After paying for the first time in her life, the girl was hopping up and down in excitement, "I remember one time I saw daddy trying to put on a tie for a PTA meeting, but it took him a long time because he forgot how to tie a tie."

The Goddess smiled fondly as she held her little girl in her arms, "Really?"

Lacy nodded, "Yep, Daddy said that my mommy used to be the one who would tie all his ties for him, so he didn't have to learn." A frown looked wrong on such an innocent girl, "Daddy looked a little sad when he said that, and I don't want him to be sad." Aphrodite bit her lip and said nothing. "But I learned how to tie a tie! So I'm going to buy daddy this tie and I'm going to tie it for him!" Lacy squealed in excitement, "Do you think he'll like it, Dite?"

"He'll love it, sweetie." The Goddess hugged her daughter close to hide her tears and kissed her soft blonde hair. Hearing her baby's giggles, Aphrodite could only hug her tighter and kiss her hair. "Oh, you're the best daughter anyone could ask for."

* * *

The cold winter wind did nothing to help Athena's heated cheeks. Her usual sharp and intimidating grey eyes seemed confused and dazed, so much so that she had already passed several red lights. Speeding by in a freshly conjured black Rolls Royce Dawn with the top down, the Goddess absentmindedly weaved the Mist around her person, sighing to herself as her mind pondered about Naruto.

_'Should I talk to someone?'_ The Goddess listed who she could speak with in her head, _'Artemis would be no help – she'd probably get angry. Aunt Hestia would feel incredibly awkward and Hera wouldn't be someone I want knowing about this._ Athena bit her lip, _'I'm down to either Grandma Rhea or Aphrodite…but I don't know how the latter would react."_

Unknown to all but herself, Athena had been thinking about the physical aspect of her relationship with Naruto. Sure, she had kissed him countless times – so much so that she no longer felt nervous about it – and had cuddled up with him during the nights, but nothing intimate ever happened under the neck. And no matter how many times she accidentally felt Naruto's _enthusiasm_ brush against her in the mornings, she shivered at the thought of actually seeing or touching it. Just Naruto mentioning sex made her confused – and made her conjure a car to pick up Annabeth herself.

Pulling into the school parking lot, the Goddess swiftly parked her car and headed toward the school, but the sudden ringing of her phone halted her – mainly because of the name on the caller ID.

"H-Hello."

There was some fumbling on the other line, "_Hey, Athena_." Regardless of the situation, Naruto's voice made the goddess feel better. "_H-Have you arrived?_"

"Yes, I'm walking into the school now." She was a feeling a little angry that her cheeks were getting heated again – she knew they were gold.

"_Listen_," started Naruto, "_I was stupid to think what I did this morning_." Athena wanted to interrupt, but he continued, "_I knew from the beginning that you're a Virgin Goddess. I-I'm so sorry, Athena. I promise I won't think like that anymo-_"

"Naruto."

Just like in university, Naruto's mouth clamped shut at her voice. "_Y-Yes_."

Circling around in the snow, Athena's cheeks glowed gold. "Please, I can't talk about this over the phone." Before Naruto could apologize, she spoke up, "I'm really not angry at you – not at all. In fact…I've been thinking about this a lot lately and we can talk about it later tonight." The goddess bit her lip, "Just, just not now, okay?"

"_Yes, sure I understand_."

Athena smiled, "You know I love you, Naruto."

_"I love you, too."_

"We'll talk more tonight – I promise." With that, the call ended.

Athena couldn't help but imagine Naruto's expression at that moment, wondering if he was nervous or maybe even angry. But in the end, she merely shook her head and walked into the school, knowing that seeing her beloved daughter would ease her mind.

* * *

For Aphrodite and her children, no winter would ever be cold enough to not have ice cream, so before they made their way home, they decided to pay a visit to Sweet Victory, Lacy's favorite ice cream parlor. On the small table for two sat a foot-tall chalice that supported another foot on ice cream. From vanilla to strawberry, the gigantic sundae resembled a sugar waterfall, and it made the mother and daughter drool with glee.

After teaching her daughter to eat from the top, Aphrodite bit into an incredibly sweet strawberry laced with some vanilla ice cream. "Oh my goodness, this is so good!" With one spoon in each hand, Lacy's cheeks looked like those of a squirrel. The girl's eyes sparkled like diamonds as she mumbled something to her favorite person. "Don't eat so quickly; you'll get a brain freeze, sweetie." Aphrodite wiped her daughter's mouth clean with a napkin and pulled her closer to her side. "And remember to chew; you don't want to choke on a strawberry or a cherry stem."

Lacy finally had enough room to speak, "Yummy!"

"Don't tell daddy about this," whispered Aphrodite with a smirk. "You know how he gets when I let you eat too much sugar."

The girl pecked Aphrodite on the cheek, "I love you, Dite."

"I love you, too, sweetie." The goddess sighed softly and combed her fingers through Lacy's hair more affectionately than she had to any of her children. "I love you so much."

In the eons Aphrodite had lived through, she never believed in regret – _living in the moment_ was her motto. Like her domain, she wanted to roam free in the sky; never would she ever land on the ground and take root. But now looking down at her baby daughter, the gem that was created by her love for Naruto, Aphrodite felt regret. Why didn't she act sooner? Why couldn't she have been there when Lacy was a baby? She wanted to see her darling little princess learn to crawl, learn to walk, to watch her giggle in joy or even cry for attention. She wanted to be there when Lacy learned how to walk. She wanted to be the one who would her baby would walk to, to be the one who would make her daughter's eyes sparkle. She wanted to hear her baby call her mommy.

"You know, I had a dream like this a few days ago!" chirped Lacy happily, breaking Aphrodite from her thoughts. "I was in a restaurant and there was this big bowl of ice cream! It had all the flavors – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, mint – and it was covered in candy!" Almost unaware, Aphrodite wiped away some tears. "I still remember that the vanilla was really good, but you liked the chocolate more."

Kissing her soft hair, the goddess asked, "I was there too?"

"Yep!" replied the girl loudly as she dug into the cold treat, "It was just like right now; it was the two of us!"

"That sounds fun," she replied with a shaky voice.

"It's always fun when I'm with you, Dite!" The girl was too focused on her ice cream to notice Aphrodite's tears. "I've always wanted someone like you!" The goddess could no longer reply. "I love daddy and Annie, but you're different – we're so alike! We like the same candies, we like the same ice cream, and you are really good at matching clothes! Daddy can never match my clothes the way you do!"

With a snap of her fingers, Aphrodite's red and puffy eyes vanished, but her voice was still shuddering. "You…you really are like me."

Lacy slowed her eating and looked a little shy, "You know, I have never met my mommy, but I always imagine us doing stuff like this." If possible, Aphrodite felt her heat stricken even more. "Daddy has only mentioned my mommy a few times, but she sounds like a really cool person. She loves ice cream and candy; she was the one who really made daddy want to keep his candy store." Lacy giggled, "Daddy said that my mommy used to eat so much candy at the store that he almost ran out of things to sell!" The girl fidgeted a little, "You…You really are exactly how I imagined my mommy, Dite." Not looking up at the lady, Lacy blushed and looked embarrassed, "D-Do…Do you think I can call you mommy?"

No amount of godly power could have stopped Aphrodite's tears. Feeling her heart break in two, the goddess wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close. The amount of shame, guilt and anger filled her entire being and she shakily held Lacy close to her chest. Brushing her tears away, she whispered, "Call me mommy…" Slowly, with her heart aching more than she had ever experienced, Aphrodite pulled away from the hug and stared into Lacy's confused eyes. "Never call me anything else, okay?" The tears were never ending, "Lacy," she sobbed, "I'm not your stepmother or anything like that." Aphrodite had never cried so hard in her life, "I…I am your real mother."

Silently, Lacy's eyes widened.

"Y-You never have to ask permission to call me mommy." Each sob was more painful than the last, "I am your mommy."

"W-What?"

"I-I'm so sorry, sweetie." An extremely powerful layer of Mist covered the mother and daughter by the Love Goddess' command. "I am your real mommy! And…And I love you so much!" With all her love, Aphrodite kissed Lacy's forehead. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Tears started to flow from Lacy's eyes, "Y-You are?"

Aphrodite nodded as sincere as she could, "Yes. Naruto is your father and I am your mother. We're both your real parents. You're my flesh and blood." Gently pressing her forehead against her daughter's, she continued, "I carried you for nine months, and I sang to you every night. I was the one who named you, Lacy."

Lacy's small shoulders shook as she timidly whispered, "I…I've always wanted to meet you."

"I'm so sorry," uttered Aphrodite in anguish, "I never should have left! I should have stayed with you and spent every day with you! I should have seen your first steps, heard your first words!" Her hands shaking, she cupped Lacy's rosy cheeks, "Y-You should have known about me."

A good few minutes passed before the little girl planted a small kiss on Aphrodite's nose, "M…M-Mommy." Aphrodite sobbed and pulled her little baby closer, "Mommy." Lacy wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her as strong as she could, "Mommy!"

Feeling Lacy shake in her arms, Aphrodite sobbed harder and could only hug her tighter. Never in her long life had the goddess felt such powerful maternal love. Never had she claimed one of her demigod children in person, nor had she held one of her children so close. Never had she had such a…personal relationship with any of her children – not even Eros. _'I finally understand. I understand, Rhea, Hera. I understand._' Aphrodite kissed the top of Lacy's head, "I love you so much, my little princess."

The little girl pulled back a little before looking up at her mother with teary blue eyes, "I-I love you, too, mommy."

Neither mother nor daughter could have wished more a better Christmas present.

* * *

It had been quite a while since Athena had stepped into an elementary school, but it was quite nice to see the childish innocence of it compared to her usual universities. Alongside the small lockers were hundreds of finger paintings, crayon drawings and sugar-cube models made by the students. The Goddess of Wisdom couldn't help but smile at the young minds at work. Though in the back of Athena's mind, she was proud of the fact that her daughter would undoubted out do every single other person in the school.

Some muttering behind a closed door tore into Athena's thoughts, and hooked her attention once she noticed that it was Annabeth's classroom.

"Okay, I've had enough of you!" Hearing someone yell, Athena glanced into the room through the small glass panel on the door, her grey eyes searching for her daughter.

Inside the classroom, a very similar pair of grey eyes glared heatedly at a middle aged lady. "But I'm right. Mrs. Beck! The construction of the Eiffel Tower started in 1887, not 1889! How can you mark my answer as wrong when it's clearly your mistake?!" For a nine year old girl, Annabeth was exceedingly vigorous. "Not to mention how you just decided to skip over some of the most important parts of the history behind the building."

"I am the teacher, young lady, and you cannot speak to me this way!" Mrs. Beck gritted her teeth, and slammed her carefully manicured hands onto her desk. "It's bad enough that you constantly point out mistakes during class, but it is far more disrespectful to demand marks from you teacher!"

"It is not my fault that you make so many mistakes!" The young demigoddess crossed her arms, "You are supposed to teach us facts, not mistakes. If you spend more time reading the syllabus and less time fixing your hair or trimming your nails, then I probably won't find so many mistakes!" Annabeth stood from her chair and looked down on her teacher, "How dare you act so high and mighty when you fail at the fundamental task of being a teacher?! You ramble on with your mistakes and call them facts. What happens if no one catches them and all your students go on thinking that everything you say is true?!"

"Lower your voice, Annabeth! I will not tell you again!"

"You cannot tell me what I can or cannot do!" With a glare that made Athena proud, the girl stood strong. "You don't deserve my respect and you do not deserve to be a teacher!"

"How dare you?!"

"Ms. Hess is so much better than you." Annabeth sighed and shook her head with confidence someone her age shouldn't have. "She actually cares about the wellbeing of her students and would never willy-nilly teach a class like you do." The girl scoffed, "I can honestly say that I can teach this class better than you."

"Shut up, you brat!" Beck stood up and towered over her student, "You may not have a mother, but I'm sure you father has taught you some manners!"

Annabeth balled her fists, "What did you say?"

"Mind your manners, girl. We do not raise our voice like that and we do not disrespect teachers or anybody with higher standings." She sneered down at Annabeth and shook her head with disdain, "I expected a lack of femininity from a girl with no mother, but I didn't expect you to be so rude and arrogant."

"My mom has nothing to do with this!" cried Annabeth with small tears welling in her eyes.

Smirking at the girl's tears, Beck crossed her arms. "Mom? How can you call someone you've never met with such affection?"

"You better shut up!"

"Such horrid manners." The teacher shook her head, obviously condescending. "I should have you talk with the councilor after the holidays; you obviously need some therapy. Don't worry, I'm sure we can flush out whatever problems you have – motherless children typically have the same problems."

"I said shut up!" Annabeth hated the fact that some of her tears started falling down to her cheeks.

But suddenly, the door opened and both the student and teacher fell silent. Soft clinking of heels on the hardwood floor made Annabeth look over, and the girl was surprised to see Thena standing by the door. Seeing her favorite lady's soft grey eyes looking at her, Annabeth instantly felt safer. The girl didn't know when, but before she knew it, she had ran into Thena's arms and was crying into her warm embrace.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" asked the teacher with a polite tone, "We are having a private conversation."

The instant Athena's eyes locked with Beck's, the teacher froze. "I am Annabeth's mother," the goddess temporarily ignored the slight jolt from Annabeth when she heard. "And I don't like the way you speak to my daughter." Beck's entire body was shaking, as if she was trying very hard to move but couldn't, and her eyes were widened in shock. "So I would prefer if you never spoke again."

Much to the teacher's horror, unfathomable amounts of pain shot through her lips as they were sewn together by an invisible thread – painfully slowly. No matter how hard to tried to move or cry for help, she couldn't move an inch or utter a whimper. Her tears flowed freely as her mouth was sewn completely shut, and she hook in horror as the goddess pointed a finger at her.

"In fact, I would rather you not see my daughter ever again." Beck could never describe it, but she would rather die than to feel her eyes burn to ashes in an instant. "And if you can please leave, I would like to have a chat with my daughter." Feeling her bones burn was the last sensation the teacher felt before she was a pile of ash. Reminding herself to call in a favor from her Uncle Hades later, Athena wrapped her arms around Annabeth and pulled her closer.

"T-Thena…"

"Don't worry, Annabeth. That woman is gone and you will never see her again, I promise." Seeing her daughter's tears made the Goddess of Warfare want to torture the woman more, but she was sure her uncle or Melinoe could no better than her in the Fields of Punishment. "Everything is okay now."

Slowly pulling back and wiping her tears, Annabeth looked up at the beautiful lady. "W-Why did you say that you're my mother?"

Calmly kneeling down to her daughter's height, Athena kissed Annabeth's forehead. "That is because you are my daughter, Annabeth." Smiling despite the shock of the girl, the goddess continued, "I am so sorry that I have to tell you this under such circumstances, but this is the truth. I am your mother, your real mother."

Staring into grey eyes that were identical to hers, Annabeth held back a sob. "My…M-My mother?"

"A part of you has always known, hasn't it?" Athena held onto the girl's shoulders, "You've wondered if there was something more."

Annabeth nodded as her tears flowed again. "Yes, I have."

Athena's façade was starting to crack and her eyes became misty. "I'm so proud to have a daughter like you, Annabeth." The goddess sniffed and blinked some tears away. "I love you." Gently brushing the tears from Annabeth's cheeks, Athena pulled her daughter into a warm hug, whispering in her ear, "I love you so much."

Shaking as her emotions made no room for her usual reasoning, Annabeth could only utter one word. "Mama…"

* * *

**The End!**

**I am so sorry for the long wait! But it was hard to balance a full-time job, friends and family, and still write. Thankfully, my summer internship has ended and I'm back in University. Now I will have much more free time to write and you can expect to see much more of my updates! Or maybe even a new story ;)**

**This is chapter 14, and I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**PLEASE LEAVE ME A GOOD REVIEW! ITS BEEN A LONG TIME AND I'M GETTING WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS! XDXD**


	15. Intruders

I Don't Own Naruto or Percy Jackson &amp; The Olympians

**A Father's Love – Chapter 15**

* * *

Staring out his window, Naruto saw the fading orange glow in the sky. Lord Apollo was ending his drive early and the sun was already below the horizon. The frost had covered the glass, but he could still see the headlights pull into the dark driveway. He had made it in time. With a smile, the father of two rubbed his hands together and reeled in anticipation. He'd made his girls' favourite for the night. Lacy's extra-sweet strawberry shortcake, Annabeth's favourite toffee pudding, Athena's dark chocolate mousse, and Aphrodite's strawberry soufflé. He couldn't wait to see their happy faces.

But then he noticed that there was only a single headlight that pulled into the driveway. It was a motorcycle.

That was all he processed before his front door was opened and his consciousness faded to black.

Naruto didn't know long he was out cold, but he stirred at the sound of metal grinding against metal. He felt the winter cold rush down his spine, and it was almost an entire minute later that his eyes focused. He panted as he looked ahead and saw the man sitting in front of him, sharpening a grossly oversized combat knife. He looked no different than a typical biker gang member with his black leather suit and large sunglasses.

"Yo, finally awake, huh?"

Naruto tried to move, only to realize that his hands were bound behind his back and around a chair, and his legs were strapped tightly together with a belt. It didn't take him long after to figure that he was nowhere near New York City. He was at the peak of a sand dune, and could barely see the light of the city far away. The sand was nearly to his knees, and the wind was getting stronger.

"W-Who are you," Naruto managed to stutter, his jaw clattering from the night desert cold.

The man sighed and slowly stood from his chair. "You are a hard man to find, you know. Back in the day, it was easy. I found Adonis in a few hours, and he was one of the tougher ones, but that boar ripped him to shreds. A few decades back, I found those three guys in under five minutes, though they did last through ten minutes with me." He man squatted down to the seated Naruto's height and smirked, "It makes me wonder how long you'll last with me."

Naruto shivered as the man's sunglasses melted off its frame, revealing his burning red eyes. "You're Ares."

"Very good, mortal." The God of War chuckled and stood to his full height, towering over Naruto. "I guess you're pretty smart, seeing how Athena is also interested in you. But I still don't understand," his voice lowered to a whisper, "What in Hades does Aphrodite see in you." His face contorted into a sneer, "You know, at first I thought she was trying to make me jealous. It's not the first time she's ignored me for a few years and decided to spend some time with some puny human, but this time it's different." Ares slowly inched a finger close to Naruto's forehead, "What makes you so special?"

Naruto gritted his teeth as he felt heat on his forehead, and suddenly, he cried out in agony. Ares' finger was burning hot and was searing his skin.

"Do you have any idea how long it took for me to track you down?"

Naruto jolted in his chair as Ares pull his finger away, leaving a burnt black mark on his forehead.

"You don't do something like this to me, do you understand?" Ares pulled Naruto up by his hair, lifting him off the ground. "Aphrodite and I have been together for millennia, MILLENNIA!" The ground shook as the God yelled out in anger. "Who do you think you are?!" With the blink of an eye, Ares stabbed Naruto through his thigh with his knife, planting the blade all the way into the ground.

"AHHH!" Naruto's body shook in pain as blood stained the pale sand red.

"Normally I just kill the mortal guys she decides to fuck, but I'm going to take my time with you." Ares chuckled, "Aphrodite won't be happy, and I'm guessing that she'll ignore me for a while, but believe me, soon she'll forgot you ever existed and will be crying out my name as I have my way with her on my bike." The God laughed at the murderous look in Naruto's eyes, "I'll be sure to fuck the memory of you out of her."

* * *

With their tears long since dried, Aphrodite and Lacy happily made their way home. Wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, Lacy blissfully rested in her mother's arms, snuggling into the crook her neck. They had decided to stay huddled together, so they made their way back to their home walking. Well, Lacy thought they were walking when Aphrodite had teleported them back to their block.

"Wow, how did we get back so quickly?" asked the little girl.

Aphrodite giggled and kissed her lovingly on the forehead, "Because time flies when we're having fun!"

Lacy's giggle was not unlike her mother's as she kissed her mom on the cheek, "Love you, mommy!"

Lacy had not been out of Aphrodite's arms ever since she first called her mommy, and the Goddess wasn't planning on letting her baby girl go any time soon. It was an awakening for Aphrodite. Over the eons, she had countless children, but none were as special as Lacy. Perhaps it was unfair of her other children, but it was only natural. The Goddess couldn't help but smother Lacy with kisses and hug, making the girl giggle and laugh even more.

Stepping into their home, the mother and daughter saw the warm glow of their fireplace. With smiles, they happily stepped into the dining room, where they could smell the delicious desserts Naruto had made for them. But instead of seeing the loving smile of her lover, Aphrodite froze at the sight of a young man sitting at the dinner table, eating the food Naruto prepared.

"You never spoiled me like that, Mother."

With only a few words, Aphrodite was pulled away from her bliss and back to reality.

Lacy looked up and was shocked to see a small man hovering in midair with two angel wings sprouting from his back.

"Eros…" whispered Aphrodite to her immortal son, "What are you doing here."

The God of Desire shook his head at his mother and gave a sigh. "I should be asking you that question, Mother." Both deities chose to ignore the gasp from Lacy when she heard what the man called Aphrodite. "You've been hiding a mortal from everyone and you broke the law by being so close to this child. You shouldn't be here. Come back with us to Olympus."

Aphrodite started to tremble. She had nightmares about such a scene before her.

"What do you mean by 'us'?"

Eros smiled, "Father misses you, Mother."

Silently, Aphrodite placed Lacy on the ground and smiled when the girl wrapped her arms around her leg. She patted her daughter's head before standing fully. Immediately, the ground shook and a growing pink surge of energy erupted around Aphrodite.

"Where is your Father?"

"Don't flare your power too much, Mother. You don't want Lord Zeus to sense you here."

The ground began to crack as Aphrodite's power grew to new heights, "I'll ask you one more time, Eros. For the sake of the love I hold for you, tell me where Ares is."

"It doesn't matter where he is, not anymore."

Aphrodite felt her heart rupture and her ichor run cold.

"You're too late."

With a flick of her wrist, a long leather whip slashed at the hovering God, wrapping around his neck. Eros was shocked at the sudden attack, and couldn't react as Aphrodite dragged him to the ground. The Goddess was eerily silent as she waved a hand over the scared Lacy's eyes, putting her to sleep. With a snap of her fingers, a pink shroud covered Lacy, protecting her.

"I swore to the River Styx," she whispered as she tightened the whip around her son's neck and pulled, "I will kill anyone who harms Naruto!" Aphrodite flared her power and flung Eros across the street, slamming his face repeatedly into the cement ground. "Including you!"

The whip was severed with a swift arrow, "See sense, Mother! We are your true family!"

The Goddess vanished with puff of smoke and Eros was shocked to see her suddenly appear behind him. "Shut your mouth." She grasped onto one of his wings and glared into his eyes, "I will kill your father after I am done with you." Eros watched in horror as his left wing started to crumble to ash. "I am the one who gave you all your powers. How dare you defy me?!" The God of Desires fell to the ground in a heap. "Who are you to take him from me?!"

Eros scattered away on the ground, "F-Forgive me, Mother! Please! Father made me find him!"

Aphrodite's presence had never been more powerful, even during the Great Wars. "You will spend the next eternity in Tartarus, with your father." Aphrodite's hand descended upon Eros' face, fully intending to reduce him to ash.

Suddenly, a golden spear flew at the two immortals and forced Aphrodite away from Eros.

"A-Athena?" muttered Eros in shock.

The Goddess of War held her asleep daughter in her arms and gently placed her next to Lacy, never once taking her eyes off Eros.

Tears finally made their way to Aphrodite's eyes and the love of the world started to disappear. All over the world, husbands and wives, boyfriend and girlfriend, parent and child, child and pet, every single bond of love started to disintegrate. Aphrodite's immortal heart was shattered. Her fears of the last few months had come to pass, and she was breaking down.

"He's gone, Athena." Aphrodite's melodic voice was broken and her appearance started to change. Her vibrant red hair was fading to white and her perfect skin gained wrinkles. "They took him. I am going to kill them! Do not get in my way!"

Eros scrambled to his feet and bowed his head to the ground, "Please, Lady Athena. There is something wrong with Mother! Help me!"

Silently and without emotion, Athena reached out and her golden spear reappeared in her hand.

Aphrodite shook in anger, "Do not try to stop me, Athena!"

Eros back away from his mother and scuffled close to Athena's feet, "Please, Lady Athena! Save me!" He drew be bow and arrows, "Together we can subdue mother and bring her back to Olympus!" The God pleaded on his knees, "She needs help, and if we bring her to Lord Apoll-"

Eros was swiftly interrupted when a golden spear suddenly went through his chest and into the ground. Spider-cracks formed on the road as golden ichor spewed from the God's chest and mouth. He let out a silent scream as Athena dug her spear deeper into the ground.

Aphrodite was shocked, "A-Athena?"

The Goddess of War's eyes glowed grey and the air around her vibrated. "I missed your heart on purpose, and believe me when I say that it's the hardest thing I've ever done." Eros saw his end in the eyes of Athena, her tearful grey eyes, and couldn't utter a word. "But if you don't tell me where Ares took Naruto, I will condemn you to the depth of Tartarus!"

Eros cried as his mother walked over to Athena, "I-I really d-don't know!"

Athena summoned her Aegis and slammed its edge to the ground, cutting off Eros' right arm. "Tell me!"

"AAHHHH!" He could only cry out in agony and look up at Aphrodite. "M-MOTHER PLEASE! I-I REALLY DON'T KNOW! FATHER NEVER TOLD ME!"

Aphrodite was stoic as Athena cut off Eros' other arm, "Tell me!"

**"THAT'S ENOUGH!"**

A voice cut through the havoc like a sword through flesh.

Mother Rhea stood in her golden glory aside two gigantic lions, "Release him, Athena. He doesn't know." The two Goddess stared at the Titaness, not moving an inch. "Stop this, right now. For now, I can still use my realm of privacy to hide this from Zeus and the Council, but if your domain breaks anymore, there won't be anything I can do!" The Goddesses still didn't move. "Naruto is still alive!"

Almost immediately, the ground stopped shaking and Eros was released.

"I can still sense him. Ares hasn't kill him yet."

Aphrodite cried golden tears and managed to whisper, "Where is he?"

Rhea was silent for a brief second before answering, "He's in Nevada Desert."

In a split second, a beacon of gold erupted as Athena summoned her Godly Form. Her Golden Helm formed around her flowing hair as Aegis and her Golden Spear hummed with surging power. Her grey eyes flickering with light as her mind ran at a billion thoughts per minute. Already, in that brief moment, she had formulated more ways to kill Ares that the War God could count.

"Tomorrow, Father and Hera will mourn for their son." Athena gently held Aphrodite by the arm and stared into her glowing pink eyes, "Come, let us go get our beloved back."

The Goddess of Love wiped away her tears and regained her beauty, "We have to get him back." She slowly shook her head, "I-I can't live without him."

As much as she tried, Athena's hand trembled as she held onto Aphrodite's hand. "We will get him back."

"You cannot kill Ares, Athena."

Grey eyes glared at Rhea, "Don't try to stop me, Grandmother."

Rhea had never seen nor had she expected Athena to ever act so irrationally. "In the name of Order, Athena, think this through. The death of an Olympian can never be covered and your entire relationship with Naruto will be revealed to the Council. If that happens, Zeus will kill Naruto even if he manages to survive tonight." Athena calmed and started to listen, "Go and stop Ares. Detain him or push him away, but do not kill him. For the sake of yours and Aphrodite's life with Naruto, let this pass."

Without another word, Athena and Aphrodite vanished in a beacon of golden light.

Rhea sighed before she made her away to Lacy and Annabeth, bringing her little girls to her home for protection. _'I pray to Order and Chaos that your father survives, little ones.'_

* * *

The once tall sand dune was reduced to a crater, and in the middle lie a bloodied heap of flesh. Hovering in the air, the God of War admired his work. The once handsome man was ruined. Both of Naruto's legs were crushed, and his right arm was missing, scattered into the wind. Most of his teeth were shattered and he couldn't see out of his left eye. But he could still hear everything, and he knew Ares was coming closer to him again, sharpening his knife.

"Which finger do you like the least?" The God sounded giddy, "This one?"

One fell swoop, Ares cut of Naruto's left thumb, making him cry out in agony, his chest bleeding more than his hand.

Ares sighed and shook his head, "I can never understand why any one of us Gods or Goddesses could ever truly love a mortal. You're all so…weak and fragile. Look at you. A few hours ago you were all smiles and laughs, but now you're broken and far beyond repair." He kicked some sand into Naruto's wounds, making him let out a blood curling scream. "I was expecting a little more from you, though. There must be something about you that makes Aphrodite wet between the legs. I guess I just can't see it."

"S-Sh-She…"

"Wow, you can still talk?" The flames flickered in the God's eyes, "I'm glad. I can still have more fun with you."

"S-She will n-never love s-someone l-like you."

Ares became motionless as he whispered, "What did you say?"

Even without his teeth, Naruto appeared to smile. "In a f-few months, I-I understand her m-more than you w-will in a million y-years."

Ares' knife made its way through Naruto's left arm, making him scream again. "Stop acting like a fag, you little shit! Do you think I care about any of that?" He wiggled the knife around, grinning as Naruto's scream grew louder. "She's the best piece of ass in existence, and she satisfies me. That's all there is to it." Ares shook his head, almost as if he was frustrated. "How the fuck can you even care about fruity stuff like that in a moment like this?"

Naruto desperately tried to remain conscious, but his mind was slipping.

"I mean, aren't you mad?" Ares laughed, "You made them a nice dinner and everything, maybe you even thought you'd get laid later tonight, but no!" His laugh was getting louder by the second, "Here you are, broken and alone. Yet, you're without any real manly anger." The God started to use his powers to rile Naruto's anger. "Don't you want to hit me, to kill me? You know, maybe I'll even let your daughters live. I think both of them will grow to be quite fuck-able. Maybe I'll have them join Aphrodite and I sometime!"

Naruto began to shake in anger and cried out in rage, which was music in Ares' ears.

He continued to laugh, "Yes, poor little mortal."

One quick poke with his finer, Ares burnt his way into Naruto's shoulder.

"Yes, keep screaming!"

Another jab through his waist, making another bloody scream

"Come on, louder!"

A flick of a finger and he sliced Naruto's ear off.

"Let me hear you sob!"

Then came a hard punch that crushed his right shoulder entirely. Naruto's throat started to give out, and his scream were raspy and dry.

Ares burnt a hole through Naruto's stomach. "Come on, scream!" But there was no scream, so he poked another hole. "Let's hear some noise!" But all was silent. "Aw come on, don't die on me yet. Scream!" Ares went for another poke on the forehead, but stopped at the sight.

Instead of dead blue eyes, he saw a gaze that pierce through him. The glare was so cold and vicious that it actually gave the God shivers down the spine. "Huh, so you still have some fight in you." Ares threw another punch at Naruto's chest, crushing most of his ribs. "How about now?" He threw punch after punch, destroying what was left of Naruto, but all the mortal did was stare back at the God with his defying eyes. "Scream! Let me hear you screa-"

To the eternal shock of Ares, Naruto used his four fingered right fist to strike his face. The War God's eyes widened and flared as he felt himself being forced back by the punch. In a split second, Ares was sent backward into the sand, and was forced to use both arms to stop himself. With shaky hands, the God touched his lower lip and found golden ichor.

"Y-You little bastard!"

Ares stood tall, planning to end the mortal once and for all, but he stopped. Lying in the middle of the crater was Naruto covered in a shroud of gold. It was unlike their godly forms; it was almost like a liquid substance.

"What in Hades is this?!"

Much to the shock and surprise of the God, Naruto was somehow healing. Before his eyes, Naruto's missing arm and fingers were regenerating. First came the white bone, then the flesh. Within seconds, all his wounds were healing and his skin was mending. The golden substance seemed to boil as Naruto's legs grew back bit by bit and was expelling a huge aura of power.

"You're not human!"

Slowly, Naruto stood. He calmly moved his arms, his fingers. He looked around, ignoring the yelling God before him.

"That's it!" Ares roared as he summoned his sword. "You're dead!"

Ares charged at Naruto, sword above his head. The sands swirled around the God's sword as his every step melted the sand beneath his feet. His eyes burned with molten red flames as he ignited his sword with flames, determined to cut off and burn Naruto's head.

"Die!"

But as his sword descended upon the mortal, and was stopped.

The God's eyes widened at the sight of his blade stopped by the mortal's newly regrew right hand. Ares could only watch as flesh covered bone and Naruto's legs fully regenerate. Slowly, with the golden blade in his hand, Naruto stood. Ares shivered at the sight of Naruto's vicious glare with animalistic, blood-red eyes.

"I'm going to rip you to shreds!" cried Ares.

No matter how hard the God tried to pull his sword from Naruto's hand, it wouldn't budge. The Imperial Gold dented under the mortal's grasp and was bending to the side. The golden shroud flared around Naruto and concentrated into his fist.

"Bring it on, bitch!" The War God was shivering.

Naruto suddenly was close to Ares and planted his fist into the God's chest. The immortal coughed from the punch and actually spat out ichor. Gritting his teeth, Ares yelled and launched a burning kick at Naruto, but the latter effortlessly side stepped to dodge. Ares' assault didn't end there, as he used his other leg to attack again. Again and again, molten kicks struck nothing but air and sand. Throughout every strike, Naruto dodged the bare minimum, and was always staring at the Ares.

"Don't mock me!"

With a flash of gold, Naruto brought his knee to Ares' nose, crushing it. Before the God could even cry out, Naruto flashed to his back, and delivered another knee to his spine.

The blood was drying on Naruto's face, and he felt stronger than ever. With a cry of anger, Naruto crushed Ares' left leg with a stomp. Then repeated it with his right leg. Scoffing at the God's cries of pain, he flipped Ares onto his back and dropped his knee into the God's chest, making him spew ichor.

"Don't you ever," muttered Naruto lowly, "Threaten my daughters!"

Naruto slammed a fist into the God's face, breaking his glasses and shattering most of his teeth.

"Aphrodite is mine!" The man continued to slam his fist upon Ares' face, "She's mine! Both her and Athena are mine, and no one can take them away from me!"

Naruto lifted Ares from the ground and kicked him into the air. Like a flash of golden lightning, Naruto sped toward his target and landed a strong kick to Ares' face, sending him soaring across the sand. But before the God could land, Naruto appeared above him and slammed him down with both fists, sending the prideful Olympian to the ground. In a crater twice the size of the one he made for Naruto, Ares lay broken.

Flashes of memories entered Naruto's mind, but he disregarded them. All he cared about were the reflexes he had gained. Holding out his hand, he instinctively drew some sort of energy from his body and formed it into a spinning vortex of power. He held a small hurricane in his palm.

The name of his attack rang in his mind, "Rasengan!"

Ares managed to summon his sword to his hands and used it to block the swirling hurricane of energy, but it quickly gave way. The meta grinded against the power and gave off a screaming screech. The blade folded and was ripped apart, and Ares could only watch in horror as Naruto drove the remnants of his attack into his chest. Never had the God felt such pain as his chest was ripped open and golden ichor spewed forth, covering him.

"I will not let anyone harm my family, and that includes you." Naruto grabbed onto Ares' arm and snapped its divine bones, "I'll kill anyone who tries!"

The God spat out some ichor, "F-Fuck you!"

Naruto gave Ares' opened chest a hard punch, "I don't deserve her, I know." The blond ignored the droplets of gold on his face and wrapped a hand around the God's neck, "But you don't deserve even the lowest of scum!" Punch after punch, Naruto slammed into Ares' face, breaking him more and more. "So stay the fuck away from my wife!"

Naruto raised his hand into the air and a potent blue energy started to churn around his palm again, growing from the size of a ping pong ball into the size of a basketball.

"You're done!"

"Naruto." A soft hand was placed on his shoulder as the familiar voice whispered into his ear, "That's enough. You've won." A soft body rested on his back, "We can't afford to let him die right now."

"He threatened the girls, Athena." Naruto sneered at the God, "We can't let him go free."

Athena nodded, "I know, my love." She kissed him softly on the cheek, "But if he dies now, my Father and many others will come after us. We can't let anyone else know of our secret yet. Please, let him go for today and kill him another day."

"She's right, Naruto." Aphrodite's voice made Naruto hitch and slowly turn back to look at her. At the sight of her tears, Naruto's eyes returned blue. "Stop, this is done."

Slowly, Naruto let Athena pull his arm back and the energy in his hand dispersed. He bit his lip and stepped away from Ares, sighing as Athena hugged him close. He gently kissed the side of her head and wrapped his arms around her. Then he finally made eye contact again with Aphrodite. Seeing her tears made his heart broke and his opened his arms to her. She quickly sobbed and jumped into the hug, crying onto his shoulder.

"A-Are you alright?" Aphrodite managed to ask, her tears not stopping. "Are you hurt?"

Naruto pursed his lips and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." He ran his fingers through his lover's hair and caressed her cheek, "Don't worry."

Athena lightly stomped on his feet, "You have no idea how worried we were."

He gently kissed both of his loves, "I'm sorry, but it's really okay." Naruto bit his lip, "I…I've never felt better." He smiled at the Goddesses, "Did you two give me some special powers or something?" Aphrodite couldn't have cared less, but Athena was interested. "Man, it was like nothing I've ever felt before. All my wounds healed! Though, my mind is still a little fuzzy."

Athena casually smiled, "Yes, something like that. I'll explain everything to you later."

Naruto suddenly froze, "Oh my Gods, how are the girls?"

"They're fine. Mother Rhea took them into her home. No one will ever harm them in there." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at Athena's words.

The husband of two noticed the silent Aphrodite, "Dite, are you okay?"

She wiped her eyes with his shoulder, "I-I'm just so happy you're alright."

He wrapped his arms tighter around them, "Of course I'm alright, honey." His eyes lingered on the broken God on the ground a small distance away and shook his head, "I will never let anyone take me away from you two, not even a God."

Athena slowly pulled away from the hug and looked up at the moon, "I've already contacted Artemis. She has agreed to ask Apollo to come pick Ares up." Her grey eyes turned vicious at the sight of her brother, "As much as I want to kill him myself, we must let him live for now."

"Is it okay to let Lord Apollo know of us?" asked Naruto.

"I'm sure he already knows. He is one God that we cannot hide from. The Sun sees everything on Earth, and he is the God of Prophecy, so I'm sure he has seen this coming." Athena sighed, "As rambunctious as he is, Apollo is one of my more tolerable brothers. He will keep this between us. We can trust him."

Without sparing a glance to the God of War, Aphrodite smiled and wrapped the three of them in a cloud of pink, "Let's get out of here." Athena and Naruto nodded. "Let's go home."

Ares remained on the ground, bleeding and barely clinging to life, waited for morning, when his brother would come heal him.

_'I'll kill you one day, mark my words!'_

* * *

**The End!**

**I cannot begin to say how sorry I am for the long wait! As I said in my recent updates, my internship is finally over and I now have a much more promising and comfortable position in the company. I have a lot more time to write and you'll see a lot more from me very soon!**

**PS. I've been working on an original novel and I plan to release it very soon. Please be on the lookout for it! If you like my work here, you'll love this new novel!**

**PLEASE LEAVE ME A REVIEW! XD**


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